No More Sorrow
by Vlaatjee
Summary: The mice go back to Earth after some of their supplies are running low. They bump into an old enemy and make a new friend. This is the start of new adventures. Will they succeed to make Earth safe again?
1. Chapter 1

I do not own the Biker Mice From Mars.

I do own Violet, Gaya, Max, Swee and all the other character that are gonna show up further in the story.

* * *

 **Chapter one**

"Vincent van Wham, are you willing to give yourself to Violet Brooks and be with her forever, even when dead is trying to get you apart?" Modo's deep voice rumbled. Vinnie looked at his precious girl who was standing before him. She had managed with some help from Carbine and Gaya to make some kind of wedding dress. Her black hair was braided and put up. She never had looked so beautiful. Her beautiful, green eyes glittered and she looked back at her precious man.  
"Aaooww, hell yeah!", Vinnie cheered happily, but then realized he maybe needed to be a little more… restraint. He cleared his throat.  
"Ahum. Yes, I am", he said, smiling a little bit sheepishly. Violet laughed, just like the audience. She didn't care. She loved him for who he was. And this was very typical Vinnie behaviour.  
Modo smiled too. He never would have thought he was gonna lead Vinnie's wedding. Self proclaimed lady killer, who didn't had any self control, who said he wasn't a one woman man… Their younger, happy, cheerful bro. He felt somehow proud. Of course, Vinnie was still Vinnie. But he finally had what he needed so badly. A girl who loved him for who he was. A girl who accepted his baggage, since his life hadn't been easy. A girl where he was not ashamed to show his emotions. And they fitted perfectly together. Violet wasn't the easiest person either. She had the same baggage, the same lack of self control. But she stood her ground, something that was needed when you lived with Vinnie. Modo turned his gaze on Violet.  
"Violet Brooks, are you willing to give yourself to Vincent van Wham and be with him forever, even when dead is trying to get you apart?"  
Violet looked Vinnie in his ruby, red eyes. He looked very handsome, in his black shirt and khaki pants. And his eyes told her everything. She saw how excited he was. She was too. Her smile couldn't get any bigger. "Yes! Yes, yes, yes!" She laughed. "Ahum. Yes, I am."  
Vinnie laughed. She truly was his girl. Modo shook his head, with a amused look on his face.  
"You now may ki… Oh", Modo trailed off. The happy couple was already entwined in a passionate kiss. The crowd cheered and whooped. Modo cleared his throat. Vinnie and Violet didn't hear him. Or they pretended like they didn't hear him. Modo pulled on Vinnie's ear.  
"Hey! Easy on the merchandise, big fella!", Vinnie squeaked. Modo ignored him. He raised his voice.  
"May I pronounce to you; Mister and Misses van Wham!" Violet and Vinnie faced the crowd. Everybody was standing and cheering at them. Throttle, Carbine, Gaya, Stoker and Jake on the front row. Throttle and Stoker looking like proud fathers. Carbine with a little smile on her lips. Behind them stood Dominus, Lectorum and Spero. Luckily, Spero was recovered quickly from her fight with Daemonium. And at the back was the remain of the group. The mice who were wounded from the last war, were all healed and back on their feet again.  
Vinnie pumped his fist in the air. "Who is ready to party!?", he yelled, his voice high from the happiness and excitement. The crowd jumped up and screamed, all ready to party. Knowing Vinnie and Violet, this party was going to be wild. And they all needed to blow off some steam after everything that had happened.

"Alright! Come on, sweetheart. Let's get drunk!" and Vinnie dragged her with him to the 'bar'. The bar was just a table with water, multiple fruit juices and of course, Martian Liquor. Vinnie grabbed one bottle of the strong alcohol. The rest of the group quickly grabbed the cup's. Vinnie held up the bottle.  
"Cheerios, people! On us!" and he put the bottle at his mouth. Modo shook his head and looked at Throttle.  
"I actually had planned to make a toast on them, but of course he is already taking care of that himself."  
Throttle chuckled. "Yep, that's our Vinnie. Come on, big fella, let's grab something to drink before the happy couple drinks everything." Throttle and Modo managed to grab a few cup's and returned to Carbine, Gaya and Stoker. They toasted.  
"On the happy couple", Throttle said. They all took a sip. Jake turned on some music and heavy metal blared through the speakers.  
"AAAOOOWWW! Life as I love it!" Vinnie's high pitched voice was clearly heard above the music. Carbine giggled. She couldn't help it. She was not really used anymore at drinking and she already felt a little bit tipsy.  
Vinnie joined them. "Heeeeyy, fearless leader!", he yelled at Throttle.  
"Wow, wow, wow. I'm standing next to you, I can perfectly hear you. Congrats, Vinman", Throttle said and patted him on the back. Vinnie smiled his trademark smile. "Thanks Throttle. Who would have thought that I, ladykiller number one, would get married? Well, I certainly not!", he laughed. He took another big sip from the bottle liquor and burped loud.  
Carbine shook her head. "No, me neither. Never would have thought there was gonna be a girl in this world who is crazy enough to marry you. But congrats, Vinnie. I am happy for you."  
Vinnie bowed at her. "Well, thank you Carbine. That almost sounded nice!"  
Gaya shuffled with her feet. "Listen, Vinnie? Congrats. I'm glad you and Violet have found each other."  
Vinnie gave her a little smile, but said nothing. Things between them were still a little bit awkward.  
Stoker pulled him in a hug. "I am only gonna say this once, but I am proud of you, punk. Congrats. Make sure she is a keeper." Vinnie clapped him on the back. "Thanks, coach. She sure is a keeper." He emptied the bottle and threw it away. It exploded against a tree.  
"Well, if you will excuse me for a minute?" and he walked back at the bar and grabbed the next bottle.  
"Oh momma, this is gonna be one hell of a night", Modo sighed.  
Throttle nodded. "Yep. Ah well, at least we don't have to fight a war or something. So, he can do what he want. But, let's keep an eye on him. Just to be sure."

After two hours, Vinnie and Violet were both very drunk. No surprise there. They were sitting on the ground, laughing about something nobody understood. Throttle, Carbine, Modo and Gaya were sitting close by them. They were chattering about everything that had happened, about the Plutarkian war, about the loss off Mars. They all were a little bit tipsy, but not so drunk as the happy couple. Dominus, Lectorum and Spero had already called it a night. The rest of the group sat on the other side of the camp, also talking with each other.  
Vinnie climbed on his feet and stumbled to the 'bar'. He grabbed another bottle and stumbled back, while drinking out of the bottle. He burped and sat down next to Violet again.  
"I got a *hick* idea, ssssweetheart..", he whispered.  
Violet looked at him. "Oh really? Tell me…"  
Vinnie put a finger before his mouth. "SSSHHH! *hick* Not ssso loud.. If our fearless *hick* leader hears what I want to do, he is gonna ssstop uss…*hick*", he hiccups while glancing at Throttle. Throttle didn't noticed it though, since he was in a conversation with Stoker.  
Violet giggled. "Oh, are we… gonna do something naughty?", she said, wiggling her eyebrows.  
Vinnie grinned. "Yeah… You know, we *hick* have our wedding...night… tonight… *hick*."  
Violet bit on her lower lip and looked at him with half eyes. "Yeeaahh… sooo?"  
Vinnie laughed and shook his head. The whole world was spinning. But he didn't care.  
"Well… You remember *hick* tha...that place we had sssex before we *hick* sssaw that dragon for the first time?"  
Violet nodded exaggeratedly, giggling because the world just kept spinning. She got so dizzy, she needed to lay down on the ground. Vinnie climbed on top of her. "Well… Why don't go there to… to have our *hick* wedding night there? Under the staaaaarrsss..*hick*", he laughed. Stars was such a crazy word. Violet laughed too. Oh my god. She was so drunk. She had never been so drunk before. Vinnie rolled beside her, not having the strength to held his weight on his arms. They both were laughing, about.. well, about what?  
Violet took a deep breath. "I think that is a exclen.. exlelen…dammmmit... great idea!" Vinnie looked at the group. Nobody was paying attention to them. Good. He grabbed her hand and pulled her arm to help her up, which wasn't a easy task since they were both so drunk. Violet burst out laughing again. Vinnie dragged her with him to his bike.  
"Ssshh, sssweet*hick*heart", but he suddenly stumbled and fell with his face forward on the ground. He dragged Violet with him in his fall. They both laughed, trying to make not too much noise. Vinnie picked himself up.  
"Come on, we need *hick* to get going." They made it at his bike in one piece. Vinnie dropped on the seat of his bike. His bike beeped at him.  
"Hey, sweet *hick* heart. We are going for a rideee…*hick*" His bike beeped back, almost angry. Vinnie didn't even hear it. Violet climbed behind him, but fell off on the other side of the bike. Again, they burst out laughing.  
"Oh gosh, ssweet*hick*heart, are you ok.. okay?", Vinnie managed to squeeze out between laughing. Violet didn't had the strength to stand up, she was laughing so hard she was scared she was gonna choke. Vinnie wrapped his tail around her waist and picked her up. She climbed on the bike again and managed to stay upright this time. She wrapped her arms around Vinnie's waist.  
"Let's rideeee….", she said, still giggling.  
"And *hick* rock?", Vinnie finished.  
He revved his bike. That alerted the rest. Throttle jumped at his feet when he saw what Vinnie and Violet were planning.  
"You've gotta be kidding me. Vincent, don't!", he yelled but of course, Vinnie didn't listen. He sped away, swinging. His bike tried to take over control, but Vinnie wouldn't let her. He found that he was in a perfect state to drive by himself.  
Modo jumped at his feet too. "Is he really that stupid? Oh, never mind. Of course he is."  
Throttle whistled at his bike. "Let's follow him, big fella. Before he drives off a cliff or something."  
Modo whistled at his bike too and they both jumped on.  
"Stay here, ladies. We will take care of this", Throttle said and he and Modo went after Vinnie.

Meanwhile, Vinnie was zigzagging between the trees, squeezing his eyes to try to see the world not upside down. He laughed.  
"This really is a *hick* chal.. challenge, sssweetheart. But no worries, I can handle *hick* it. I'm the be.. best!" Violet could only laugh. Vinnie suddenly saw a huge tree ahead of him. He wanted to hit the brakes, but since he was so drunk, he had some kind of blackout. He suddenly didn't knew what to do. He opened the gas and the bike sped forward.  
"No, no.. no.. That's not what I meant…", he mumbled. His foot suddenly found the brake pedal, but it was too late. The bike slammed against the three, catapulting both Vinnie and Violet. They both landed hard on the ground.  
"Ahhh *hick* man…", Vinnie moaned.  
Violet laughed. "Now we know.. how it feels.. to.. flyyy…". At that moment, Modo and Throttle came out of the forest and stopped. Throttle opened his visor and looked at the mess before him. Vinnie's bike, damaged because of the hard hit, and two very drunk, just married Martian Mice. He was glad to see they were okay. Modo shook his head.  
"Oh momma." He stepped of his bike and walked over to Violet.  
"You okay, Violet ma'am?", he asked.  
Violet looked at him with half eyes. "I never felt better!", she giggled.  
Modo helped her up. Her dress was torn and almost exposed her breasts. Modo's cheeks turned red under his grey fur.  
"Uhm, Violet ma'am? Your eh.. your breast, NO, I mean DRESS is ehm..", he stuttered.  
Violet stared at him, she didn't understand what he was talking about. Modo pointed at her torso and she looked down.  
"OH!", and her cheeks turned red too. She tried to put the dress back, but it was too messed up. Throttle walked over to Vinnie, smiling over Modo's reaction. Poor guy. "Vinnie, take off your shirt", he ordered at the very drunk, white furred mouse.  
Vinnie looked at him in shock. "Throttle! Bro! I know *hick* we are family, but…"  
Throttle didn't let him finish that sentence. "Vincent, shut up. You know perfectly well that's not what I mean. Your girl needs your shirt, since she is half naked and it's giving Modo almost a heart attack."  
Vinnie looked at Violet, who was indeed almost naked on the top. He smiled appreciatively.  
"Ssweetheart.. Looking *hick* gooood!" Violet winked at him.  
Throttle rolled his eyes. "Vincent, come on. Take off your shirt." Vinnie tried to sit up, but that wasn't an easy task. But finally, he managed to take off his shirt. Throttle had waited patiently and gave the shirt to Violet. Putting it on was also a hard task. Vinnie was very silent all of a sudden. Throttle looked down at him.  
"Vinnie. You okay?" Vinnie burped loud as answer and bend over. Throttle quickly jumped out of the way. Just in time, because the white loudmouth threw up. A lot. Throttle looked at Modo, who sighed. Violet was almost falling asleep. She was wobbling on her legs. Modo held her tightly and guided her to his bike.  
"I will take Violet to bed, and come back after to grab Vinnie's bike. You gonna be okay with him?", he asked while taking a seat behind Violet, so he could hold her to avoid she was gonna fall off. Throttle looked down at the miserable feeling white mouse.  
"I will wait here till you back, okay? I don't want him to throw up when he is on my bike. Give him some time."  
Modo nodded. "Alright. Be right back." And he slowly drove back to the camp. Throttle sat down on the ground, close by Vinnie, but not too close. He looked at his younger bro. He smiled, he couldn't help it. He was so gonna regret his in the morning. Vinnie wiped off his mouth. He looked at Throttle and smiled sheepishly.  
"Feeling a little bit better now?", Throttle asked.  
Vinnie shook his head. "Noooope…*hick*" He let out a small burp and lay down on the ground.  
"Everything is spinning… Do you *hick* see that too?", he asked at Throttle. The tan furred mouse shook his head.  
"No, because I didn't drink so much as you did. Really, Vinnie. When do you gonna learn to control yourself?"  
Vinnie snorted. "It is my.. *hick* wedding. You need to get drunk on.. *hick* your wedding, right?"  
Throttle looked at Vinnie. "Well, I didn't get this drunk on my wedding. Soooo… No, you don't need to get this drunk on your wedding."  
Vinnie sighed. "It's just *hick* hard.. okay? I still miss her.. So much..*hick*"  
Throttle wasn't sure where he was talking about, but he had a hunge. Charley.  
"I know, bro. We all miss her."  
Vinnie nodded. "Yeah… I'm happy with Violet, don't *hick* get me.. wrong.."  
Throttle nodded. "I know, Vinnie my man, I know." He felt sorry for his younger bro. But grieve cost a lot of time. It was not weird he still had a hard time with it.  
Vinnie rolled on his belly. When he saw his bike, he gasped.  
"My *hick* bike! Ah, man.. Me and my big mouth.. *hick*." Throttle looked at Vinnie's bike. The front off the bike was heavily damaged.  
"We will get it back in good shape, Vinnie. We always do."  
But Vinnie shook his head. "Noo.. Ch.. Charley did…*hick* She was the.. best wrench jockey *hick* in the who.. whole universe.."  
Throttle knew his bro was this emotional because of the alcohol.  
"I know, Vin. But we are also pretty good in fixing bikes. It will be okay."  
The white mouse gagged again, but there was nothing left in his stomach. "Ah man… I feel like shit… Please, just let me die here..."  
Throttle chuckled. "No way. Tomorrow it will be a little bit better."  
But Vinnie didn't hear him. His eyes closed and quick after that, he was snoring loud. Throttle leaned against a tree and looked at the stars. He was deep in thoughts, with a loud snoring Vinnie next to him. Suddenly, Modo stood before him.  
"You okay, bro?", he asked when he saw the thoughtful frown on Throttle's face.  
Throttle nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking. As always." He stood up. Modo looked at Vinnie. He tried to wake him, but the white mouse was out like a light.  
"Looks like we don't have another choice then to carry him to bed", Modo snickered. Throttle grabbed his bike and fired a rope. It whirled around Vinnie's bike. Modo gently picked Vinnie of the ground and carried him to his bike. They drove back to the camp. Modo opened the door of their cabin and lay Vinnie in bed next to Violet. He pulled the blanket over them. Vinnie moaned and turned around, crawling against Violet. Modo smiled. This was not the wedding night Vinnie had in mind, he was sure of that. Still with a smile on his face, he closed the door behind him. He walked back to Throttle, Carbine and Gaya.  
"They are both sleeping", he said when he sat down next to them.  
Carbine sighed. "Good. I am gonna follow their example. Good night!" and she stood up and walked away. Gaya followed her. Modo looked at Throttle.  
"What is on you mind, bro?", he asked. Throttle shook his head.  
"Nothing. Well, nothing special. It's just… I don't know. I'm trying to enjoy this life, the peace. But I keep thinking there is still more to come, you know? That we don't deserve to live in peace."  
Modo thought about it. "Yeah, I know what you are saying. But I think we do deserve it. And that it's time that you are gonna lower your walls. Enjoy your life while you still can."  
Throttle nodded. He stood up. "Yeah. You're right. I gonna catch some z's. Good night, big fella. See you tomorrow." And he left Modo alone with his thoughts.

The next morning, Violet slowly opened her eyes. She moaned. Her mouth was as dry as a desert, her head was pounding. But she was married. She smiled and looked beside her. Vinnie was still fast asleep. Violet kissed the tip of his nose and froze. His nose felt very cold. She quickly checked if he was still breathing. Thankfully, he was. She tried to wake him by shaking him, but he didn't react. Violet took a deep breath and pinched him in his ear. Normally, he would jump at the ceiling if she did that, since their ears were very sensitive. But still, no reaction. Violet was starting to get worried.  
"Vinnie! Wake up!", she said with a hoarse voice. She shook him again. No reaction. This was ridiculous. She jumped out of bed. The world was spinning, but she tried to ignore it. Stupid hangover. She stumbled outside, and saw that the rest was already awake. She ran over to Throttle and Modo.  
"Throttle!", she yelled. Throttle looked up, surprised by the urgence in her voice. She almost bumped into him.  
"Vinnie… He doesn't wake up…", she breathed. Throttle and Modo came into action immediately. They ran to the cabin and burst inside. Violet followed them. Throttle bowed over Vinnie.  
"Vincent, wake up." Still no reaction. "Modo, go get the doctor. I think our adrenaline mouse had too much to drink yesterday."  
Modo ran outside. Violet took place on the bed next to Vinnie. She looked worried at Throttle.  
"Is he going to be alright?", she asked.  
Throttle shrugged. "I'm not a doctor, but I think he is gonna be fine."

Modo came back with Swee, the doctor. He was about Modo's age and his fur was chocolate brown. He had a very kind expression on his face. He looked at the white furred mouse and started to examine him.  
"How much did he drink last night?", he asked, while checking Vinnie's pulse. Violet shrugged.  
"I don't know, but I think at least three bottles?"  
Swee stared at her. "Well, I must say, that's impressive. And way too much. Did he throw up?"  
Throttle nodded. "Yeah, before we brought him to bed." Swee nodded. When he was done with his examination, he looked at Violet.  
"I think he is gonna be okay. His vitals are good. Maybe a little dehydrated. Give me a signal if he is not awake by the end of the day. Alright?"  
Violet nodded, feeling ashamed and stupid that they both had let it come so far yesterday. Swee patted her on the back.  
"It's okay. You guys are young. And just married. These things do happen." And he left the cabin. Violet hardly dared to look at Throttle. She felt like a child who did something against the rules.  
Throttle sighed. "It's okay, Vi. Like the doc said, these things do happen. Let's just hope you two learn something from this."  
Violet nodded. "I think I am gonna back to sleep again… You know… My head hurts and stuff..", she said, blushing. Modo gave her a cup of water.  
"Drink this, Violet ma'am. That will help you." She did what she was told and snuggled under the blanket again. It didn't took long before she was fast asleep.  
Modo and Throttle walked back to the group. "Is he gonna be okay?", Carbine asked, worry in her eyes.  
Throttle nodded. "Yeah, he probably will. He just drank too much. Way too much. But hey, no surprise there. Let's just hope he will learn from this. I bet he is gonna feel like shit when he wakes up."  
And Throttle was right. Of course.

Vinnie suddenly felt a huge headache. His throat so dry, he almost couldn't swallow. He tried to open his eyes, but the light was too much. He moaned. He hated himself. He felt a hand on his forehead. He peeked through his eyelids and saw Violet lying next to him. She looked like shit alright. So they both drank too much. He hardly could remember anything from the previous night. After the ceremonie, things were getting blurry.  
"Sweetheart….", he smiled, his eyes still closed.  
Violet giggled. "I know right. I feel like shit. And you drank way more then me, so I can hardly imagine how you are feeling right now."  
Vinnie moaned again. "You don't want to know. I…", but before he could finish that sentence, he jumped out of bed and ran outside. Violet could hear him throw up. She shook her head. This was the definitely the last time she was gonna drink so much. Vinnie stumbled back inside and fell on the bed.  
"I'm going to sleep till tomorrow morning. I am not gonna survive this day if I stay awake." Violet agreed. They both fell quickly asleep again.

Throttle came by to check on them and saw they were both still asleep. He quickly checked Vinnie, but he was fine. He walked back to Carbine outside.  
"They are fine, sleeping like two small children."  
Carbine smiled. "Good."  
Throttle looked at her. "I must say this babe, you are way more relaxed than you were before."  
Carbine nodded. "I know. That's because we are finally living in peace. There is no war. No enemy. No danger. So why should I care they drank too much? That they are lying in bed all day and night? As long as they are fine, it's good."  
Throttle pulled her in his arms. "I really like the relaxed Carbine." Carbine gave him a little kiss.  
"Me too."  
They walked back to fireplace and joined Modo and Gaya. They had a peaceful day with nothing to worry about.

The next morning, Violet woke up again. She felt much better than yesterday. She stretched and looked at Vinnie. He was snoring loud, drool dripping out his mouth. She giggled. Crazy mouse. She decided to let him sleep. He probably needed it. She slipped out of bed and grabbed a towel. It was time for a swim. That will clear her head. She walked outside and breathed the fresh and warm air. This planet was truly amazing. A paradise.  
When she arrived at the lake, she saw Gaya and Carbine in the water. She waved at them and quickly dived into the fresh water. Ahhhh. Better. She swam to Carbine and Gaya.  
"Hey girls!", she said with a little goofy smile.  
Gaya laughed. "Look who came out of her cave. How do you feel?"  
Violet laughed. "Much better than yesterday, that's for sure. I am never gonna drink again."  
Carbine laughed too. "Wonder where I heard that before!" and she splashed water to Violet. Violet dived under water and pulled Carbine with her. That was the start of a big water fight. They were laughing out loud, having fun.  
Throttle and Modo heard the noise and decided to look what the women were doing. They watched the fun with a smile on their face. Suddenly they heard a noise behind them and saw a very pale Vinnie. He stumbled to them.  
"Morning, bro's!", he said, but his voice didn't sound that cheerful as usual.  
Throttle clapped him on the back. "If it isn't our alcoholic. How are you feeling today?"  
Vinnie's ears drooped. "Man, still feel like shit. But better than yesterday, so that's good news, right?"  
Throttle chuckled. "You didn't woke up yesterday morning. You sure scared us, but the doctor checked on you. You were fine thankfully, just drank too much."  
Vinnie stared at him. "Ah man, that is really not cool…"  
Modo chuckled. "Ah, it's okay, Vin. We fixed your bike, by the way."  
Vinnie looked at him questionably. "My bike? What was wrong with my bike?"  
"You don't remember? You and Violet were going for a ride, but driving with alcohol in your system doesn't work that well. So, you kinda parked your bike against a tree." Vinnie shook his head, wondering how he could be so stupid.  
"That's sounds like me, alright. Stupid move. Thanks for fixing it, bro's. Really appreciate it."  
He looked at the women in the water. "Are we just gonna stand here and stare, or are we going to enjoy the fun?", he asked with a mischievous smile on his face. Throttle and Modo got the same smile on their faces.  
"Let's get them!", Modo said and he ran into the water. Throttle and Vinnie followed him. They swam to the girls under water and grabbed their legs. The girls screamed. "Oh my god, you scared the death out of me!", Violet yelled when Vinnie came up. He smiled.  
"Hey there, sweetheart. Missed me?" She spit water in his face.  
"Like pain in the ass!", she laughed. Vinnie grabbed her and they were fighting in the water. It eventually ended in a really passionate kissing session. The others let them, they were started a game with the girls on the shoulders of the guys. The girls needed to push each other off. It ended in both girls in the water, laughing out loud. Modo and Throttle smiled, it gave them such a good feeling to hear them laugh, so see them enjoy their life. They had a great day. When the sun was going down, they made a fire at the beach and ate their dinner there.  
"This is the living!", Vinnie sighed with a full belly. He lay down and looked at the stars.  
"Yeah, even heroes need some time off", Throttle agreed. He was sitting next to Carbine.  
Modo nodded. "Yeah." He looked at Gaya, who was fallen asleep next to him. He felt so happy. To finally have a little peace.

After a long evening full with talking, stargazing and eating, they called it a night. Vinnie peeked at Violet. Violet saw him looking, the naughty look on his face. He obviously had an idea. Vinnie waved at the rest.  
"We will stay a little bit longer, you go. Goodnight!" Throttle shook his head. It was obvious what Vinnie's plan was.  
"Okay, let's go people. Before we see something that is gonna burn our eyes!" They all quickly walked away, waving at the lovebirds.  
Vinnie grabbed Violet and pushed her on the ground. He climbed on top of her.  
"You know, we kinda missed our wedding night. And I can hardly remember what happened. But I do know one thing, and that is that I want to have our wedding night under the stars. How romantic, huh?", he said and wiggled his eyebrows.  
"Yeah, it kinda is. On your own, unique way", Violet smiled.  
Vinnie couldn't hold himself back anymore and kissed her roughly. Violet moaned and kissed him back eagerly. And that was the start of one of the greatest nights off their lives.

The next few weeks went by peaceful. Everybody was enjoying their free time. They made long drives on the bikes, went to visit Dominus and Lectorum and Spero, days full with swimming and eating on the beach. Yeah, life was good.  
It was on a another beautiful, quiet day when Carbine found out that they were running low on some off their supplies. Especially their fuel. She took Throttle apart.  
"Listen, we are running low on fuel. I think we only have for a month or so. A lot we can find here, but fuel is gonna be a problem." Throttle rubbed his chin. They all knew that this day would come. But it was a little bit too soon, if you asked Throttle.  
"Hmmm.. Let's plan a meeting with the rest." Carbine nodded.  
So, that night, they all sat together. Throttle informed the rest about the fuel problem. Vinnie immediately felt a little rush of excitement going through his body. By the looks of things, it was soon time to come into action again. And he was fine with that.  
"So, we need to think about a plan how to find fuel", Throttle ended his speech.  
Max shook his head. "Why? We don't need the bikes here, right? We are finally living in peace. We can do everything by foot. So, I don't see the problem here."  
Vinnie jumped at his feet. "Are you crazy? A life without my bike? Without having the chance to take a ride when I want to? Dude, I rather kiss a Plutarkian on the lips then to live without my bike!"  
Violet stuck out her tongue. "Ugh, Vinnie, that really is disgusting."  
Vinnie shrugged. "What? It's just standard macho talk, nothing major." He looked at Max, who was looking challenging at him.  
"You guys are always making rounds on the bikes when it is not necessary. You have wasted all our fuel."  
Throttle quickly intervened. "Max, thanks for your opinion. You obviously have a hard time with us riding our bikes. But that is just what we do, okay? You are free to ride your bike, to use the fuel, but you decided for yourself not to do that. And that's fine. But don't say it's our fault. We used a lot of the fuel during the war." Max still had a challenging look on his face, but said nothing.  
Vinnie sat down again. "Well, bro's! I can only think of one thing… If we want fuel, we need to go back to Earth…"

* * *

Please review! :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter two**

Throttle stared at him. "Ehm, yeah… That is actually a good idea... "  
Vinnie smiled. "I know, right?"  
Carbine nodded. "Yeah, that's the only place we know for sure we can find fuel. Since Mars is gone…" She sighed. She was still having a hard time because they had lost their entire home planet. Throttle grabbed her hand and smiled reassuring at her.  
"The spaceships still have enough fuel, right?"  
Carbine shrugged. "Not sure, but we can use some of the fuel we have left. To make sure we are gonna make it to Earth."  
Max suddenly stood up. "I am not going to leave this planet. I don't want to fight anymore. I don't want stupid missions anymore. I am done!"  
Vinnie lifted up one eyebrow. "Well, then you stay behind. No problem! I don't want someone next to me who is complaining all day how we 'wasted' our fuel and is spoiling all the fun."  
Throttle raised his hands. "Guys, come on. You know better than this. Nobody is forced to come with us. If you want to stay behind, that is fine. So, who is with us?"  
Vinnie, Violet, Modo and Gaya lifted up their hands.  
Throttle looked at Stoker. "Coach?"  
Stoker smiled a little sheepishly. "I had my glory days, Throttle. I will stay here and keep an eye on things here."  
Throttle nodded. "Jake?"  
Jake gave him a sad smile. "My back is still not fully healed. Riding on a bike, a long trip in a spaceship… No, that is gonna work for me."  
"Very well. Then it's just us, bro's. And ma'ams"  
Vinnie jumped at his feet. "Yes! This is gonna be so much fun!" Modo smiled too. He also liked the idea of going back to Earth. He has always really enjoyed their stay there. But it was gonna be so different now Charley wasn't around anymore. And he was really curious how Vinnie was gonna handle that fact. But the white furred mouse had, by the looks of things, not really thought about that fact yet. He was just happy there was gonna be some action again.  
"Sooooo, when do we leave?", Vinnie asked with puppy eyes and a smile like a small kid that asked for a treat.  
Throttle chuckled. "You are gonna hate me when I say this Vincent, but we will leave in two days."  
Vinnie pouted. "Aahhh man…."  
"We need to prepare tomorrow, so we can leave the day after that. It will be over before you know it, Vin", Carbine said, smiling. Sometimes it felt like they were talking to a child.  
"Alright, alright, I know…"

Finally, they were ready to depart. The bikes were loaded, they had enough food for a week or so and they had empty jerry cans with them. And of course, enough weapons if they were gonna run into some trouble. The ship was full, but there was still enough room for the mice to sit and chill during the long trip to Earth. They said their goodbyes to the rest of the group and took off. Vinnie was almost bouncing on his seat, looking out of the small window. Finally! On the road again!  
But after two hours, he remembered why he hated space traveling so much. It was BORING.  
He sighed. "Are we there yet?"  
Throttle shook his head, looking over his shoulder from the cockpit.  
"Nope. Still a 26 hour flight, Vinnie."  
Vinnie sighed again. Violet punched him on the arm.  
"Quit your whining. Go to sleep or something."  
But Vinnie shook his head. "No way. I have slept enough the last days to be awake for at least the next month or so."  
Modo rolled his eyes. "Oh momma. Let just hope that is not gonna happen. The moments you sleep are always so peaceful…" Gaya and Violet laughed.  
"So true, so true", Violet agreed with Modo.  
Vinnie glared at them. "You can not even stay away from me for more than an hour, sweetheart. So why saying you like the peace and quietness when I'm sleeping?" Violet giggled. "Right. That's just because you need someone to keep an eye on you, because otherwise you do something stupid."  
Vinnie laughed too. "Right. As far as I can remember, you are always on my side when I do something stupid. So, what is that saying about you?"  
Violet stopped laughing. "No way! I…" but Modo intervened. "Alright, alright, enough you two. You both need someone to keep an eye on you."  
Vinnie and Violet glared at Modo and opened their mouth at the same time. Gaya quickly made a time out move.  
"Okay, time out. Let's play a game, or something."  
Violet looked at her. "A game? Like what?"  
Gaya rubbed her chin. "Ehm, truth or dare?"  
Vinnie shook his head. "Uh uh! No way!"  
Violet looked confused. "What is truth or dare?"  
Vinnie waved it away. "Just a stupid game. Maybe we can play a ballgame?" He held up a baseball and his gun, with a big grin on his face.  
"Just like on Mars?"  
Throttle quickly intervened. "No way, Vincent! We all know how that is gonna end. You blow up the whole ship and then what?"  
Vinnie pouted. Modo smiled and grabbed a board game he had found on Earth.  
"Maybe we can play Monopoly?"  
Throttle intervened again. "No way! That's always ending the same way as the ball game. You guys, just sit and don't move okay? Maybe we are gonna make it to Earth in one piece then."  
"Ugh, Throttle, you are such a buzzkill", Vinnie sighed, crossing his arms before his chest.  
Then his face lit up. "Hey! Do we still have that old videos from my glory days at the Motocross? We can watch them!"  
"NO WAY!", everybody yelled in unison.  
Vinnie raised his hands. "Okay, okay! Chill. You guys just don't appreciate good skills."  
He sighed. "Are we there yet?"  
"Nope, Vincent, still an 25 hour and 55 minute flight."  
30 minutes later. "Are we there yet?"  
"Nope, still an 25 hour and 25 minute flight."  
10 minutes later. "Are we there yet?"  
"Nope, still an 25 hour and 15 minute flight."  
5 minutes later. "Are we there yet?"  
"Nope, still an… Argh! Vincent, shut up, okay? We are not there yet. Not for a long time!" Throttle lost his patience.  
Vinnie looked innocently. "What?" Everybody shook their heads.  
"Oh momma, this is gonna be a looooooong flight", Modo sighed.

Finally, after a loooong time flying and a lot of whining from Vinnie, Carbine saw Earth.  
"We are close, guys. Buckle up." She pushed on a button and the ship started to land.  
"We are going to Chicago, right?", she checked with Throttle.  
"Yeah, since we know our way over there, that is the easiest option. You can land at Quiqley Field. It's night in Chi Town, so no games." Carbine nodded.  
Violet was looking out of the window. Earth. She was excited to finally see this beautiful planet. She had heard a lot about it, from Vinnie and her father always told her stories about Earth when she was young. She sure was lucky that she could go see it in person. Modo also looked out of the window. He saw Quigley Field and smiled. All those memories. Good and bad. But mostly good. They sure had a great time here. Too bad it ended like it had ended. When the ship stood on the ground, Carbine turned off the engine. She yawned and stretched.  
"That was a really, long trip", she said, rubbing her eyes. Throttle agreed. Vinnie walked into the cockpit and slammed on a button. The door slowly opened. He jumped at his bike.  
"Come on, you mamma jammers! Let's ro…" but Throttle stopped him.  
"Wow, wow, wow, easy Vincent. We are not going anywhere. Yeah, to the scoreboard. Tomorrow, we will take a tour through the city."  
Vinnie stared at him. "Say what?"  
But Throttle shook his head. "No discussion. We are all tired, well most of us", he quickly added when Vinnie was opening his big mouth again. "First, sleep. And that's final."  
Vinnie shook his head in disbelief. Could you believe this guy? But he had no other choice but to obey. Throttle was their leader and Vinnie respected him. But slowly, a mischievous smile crept on his face. Maybe he wasn't allowed to go to the city. But Throttle didn't say anything about the stadium, right? He revved his bike and before anyone could stop him, he flew out of the spaceship and drove full speed on the field.  
"Muawhahaa! Aaaalright!" His high pitched voice echoed through the air. Throttle slammed his hand against his forehead.  
"Okay, note to myself. Be very specific when you give Vinnie orders. I almost forgot. Okay, let's go."  
They all drove out of the spaceship. Violet and Gaya were looking around with awe. It was beautiful. The stadium was very impressive, with high tribunes. Violet looked up to the scoreboard. It was all she had imagined and still, so much more. The air was fresh and colder than on Coelum. After three victory rounds in the stadium, Vinnie joined them. He opened his visor.  
"Bro's! Can't believe we are back!", he yelled excited. Throttle and Modo smiled.  
"I know, little bro. It's good to be back!", Modo said.  
"Shall we?", Vinnie said and fired his jets. He used a stairs as ramp and flew inside the scoreboard. When he hit the brakes and took of his helmet, he saw that nothing was changed. It was still the same as how they had left it. He suddenly got the feeling he got slapped in the face. Charley. It was weird to be here without her.  
He didn't even thought about it. The only thing that was on his mind the entire trip was that one; they were finally on the road again, two; he was bored, three; he was bored and four; oh yeah, he was bored. He shook off the unpleasant feeling and was already smiling again when his bro's and the girls came inside. They all stepped of their bikes and looked around.  
"Wauw. It is all still the same", Modo said.  
Throttle nodded. "That's great. It would be very inconvenient if we had bumped into another alien race who was hiding here."  
Vinnie laughed. "Yeah, right. What's next? Turtles who can fight?"  
Violet looked at the small kitchen and bathroom. It was perfect. She could imagine how the guys had lived here for all these years. But she also got a nagging feeling. How was her beloved, white furred husband gonna handle the fact that Charley wasn't here anymore? Only time could tell. But she promised to herself, she was gonna be there for him, no matter what.

The next morning, everybody woke up early. They eat the porridge they brought with them, under loud complaining from Vinnie.  
"Bro's! We are back on Earth. Why are we eating this instead of hotdogs?"  
Modo swallowed his bite. "We don't have money, Vinnie. So we have no other choice."  
"Ah man…"  
After breakfast they all mounted their bikes.  
"Alright, let's rock… and ride!" and they jumped out of the window.  
"AAAOOWWW, just like the old days!", Vinnie cheered. When his tires hit the ground, he sped away. They drove through the city. Nothing major was changed. Everything that Limburger had damaged, was still in the same state. It was like the city didn't cared enough to rebuilt it. Vinnie took the lead and without really thinking about it, he drove to the Last Chance Garage. When they came around the corner, they saw the remains of the garage. Vinnie stopped and opened his visor. There was a lady standing on the pavement in front of the spot where the Last Chance Garage used to be. The rest stopped next to him.  
"Who is that?", Modo asked curiously.  
Vinnie shrugged. "I don't know…"  
The lady was just standing and staring at the remains of the garage. She wore a fashionable suit and high heels. Her brown hair was braided. Vinnie cleared his throat, feeling a pang of deep pain when he saw the remains of the garage.  
"Maybe it's for the best if we come back another day?" The rest agreed, but when they revved their bikes to ride the other way, the lady suddenly turned around. Throttle, Modo and Vinnie almost fell off their bikes.  
"Charley?"

Vinnie shook his head. This was not possible. She was dead. He had seen it. He looked closer at the woman. Man, she looked a lot like Charley alright. But he saw now there were some minor differences. Her hair was lighter than Charley's, and she was thinner. Her green eyes were almost the same, but her mouth was smaller. Stricter. She actually looked a little bit arrogant. She stared at the mice, who stared back.  
Throttle came to senses. "Let's ride."  
But Vinnie shook his head. "No way, man. Look at her. She must be related to Charley. Why don't we just go over there and…" he trailed off.  
The lady was marching over to them, with big steps. How she could walk that fast on those high heels, was a riddle to the mice. Before they could react, she was standing before them. She looked at them. The mice looked back. This was weird alright. She cleared her throat.  
"Can I help you with something? I saw you staring at the Garage." Vinnie let out his breath. Thank the mothers of Mars, her voice didn't sound the same as Charley. His heart would have give up if that was the case. He looked at Throttle.  
"We are just passing through ma'am. No big deal", Throttle said. The lady narrowed her eyes, but said nothing.  
Vinnie couldn't stand it anymore. "Say, sweetheart. Do you happen to know Charley? Charley Davidson?"  
The girl froze and slowly turned around to face Vinnie.  
"She is my sister. How do you know her?"  
Again, the mice almost fell off their bikes. Sister? Charley never had mentioned she had a sister. But the evidence was standing right before their noses. She looked too much like Charley. She must be telling the truth. The mice said nothing.  
The girl narrowed her eyes. "Look, if you know where I can find her, please tell me! I came here to look for her. We didn't had much contact, but the last time I spoke to her is a very long time ago. I have the feeling something happened with her. So I came here to visit her. And then I saw her garage is ruined. And Charley nowhere to be found. So, please, I am worried sick. If you know something…"  
Throttle, Modo and Vinnie looked at each other. Were they gonna tell her that her sister was dead? But if they did, they needed to tell her who they are. And what Charley had meant for them. Throttle didn't liked the fact that there was gonna be another human that was gonna know of their existence. But did they have a choice? No. This poor woman needed to know what happened to her sister. He gave a small nod to his bro's and turned to the woman.  
"Yes, we know what happened. But I am not gonna tell it here. So, if you don't mind?", he said, gesturing at his bike.  
The woman's eyes grew big. "I eh… I am not really that kind of girl… I don't like bikes… I eh…", she stuttered.  
Vinnie narrowed his eyes. Didn't like bikes? Who was she? How could she be related to Charley?  
Throttle waved away her worries. "You really don't have a choice. It's too crowded here. And we need to show you something", he said with his most strict voice.  
The woman swallowed and slowly took place behind Throttle. She saw the tail and almost started screaming. But she stopped herself. She came here to find out what had happened with her sister. These bikers seemed to know more about her. So, let's play along for now. The mice drove away, followed by the girls.

Throttle drove right at the park close by the garage. He stopped and the woman stepped of the bike, a little wobbling. Vinnie stopped behind them and slowly looked at the big three. His gaze lowered and he saw Charley's grave. His legs became weak. Suddenly, a hand on his arm. He looked up and saw Violet. His lovely girl. He smiled at her.  
"You okay, cutie?", she asked worried.  
He nodded. "Yeah. It's just…" but Violet put a finger against his mouth.  
"It's okay. I know. I am here for you." Vinnie kissed the tip of her nose. They turned their attention back on the woman.  
She was waiting impatiently. "Look, if this is some kind of joke, I…" but Throttle shook his head. He pointed at the place where Charley was buried.  
"I am really sorry to tell you this, but you sister Charley died last year in a explosion."  
The woman stared at him. "An explosion? How in the world… She was running a garage, not a military shop! How in the world could she get killed by a explosion?"  
Throttle sighed and took off his helmet. The rest followed his example. The woman stared at them, her mouth wide open.  
"What… What are you? Giant gerbils?"  
"Mice, ma'am. We're mice", Throttle said.  
"Mice?"  
"You were expecting Turtles maybe?", Modo asked sheepishly.  
The woman walked closer to Vinnie.  
"Mice? With antennes? And biker clothes? And motorcycles?"  
"Don't forget your basic studly bod", Vinnie said, flexing his muscles.  
The woman laughed. "I've seen better."  
Vinnie crossed his arms before his chest. "Maybe. But not with this much charm."  
The woman looked at Throttle again. "Where on Earth did you guys come from?"  
"Mars", Modo said.  
"Mars?", she asked.  
"Mars", Throttle said.  
"Mars!?", she asked again.  
Vinnie smiled. This felt like a deja vu, alright. He couldn't help himself.  
"Is there an echo in here?"  
"I don't think she likes our answers", Modo said, laughing since this was truly a deja vu.  
"Mars. Right. I don't believe this. I think you guys better explain yourselfs."

Throttle sighed. "Okay look, it's a long story. I think it's better if I show you." The woman saw his antenna glowing red and he came closer to her. She stumbled back, but bumped into Vinnie. She looked behind her and saw a very, cocky grin. He winked at her.  
"Boo!"  
The woman quickly stepped forward again. Throttle raised his hands.  
"Come on, don't be shy now. We did the same with Charley. She was a close friend of ours. You can trust us." Charley's sister stared at him, but then closed her eyes and Throttle touched her head with his antenna. He showed her a short version of their story. The stripmining from Mars by the Plutarkians, how they had met Charley, their adventures, the explosion of the garage… She gasped and stumbled back again. Her eyes flew open.  
"Oh my god… This is all your fault! If she wasn't with you guys, she would be alive right now…" She grabbed something out of her small back and pointed it at Throttle. It was a small can of pepper spray. She sprayed it in his face, but since Throttle was wearing glasses and had bionic eyes, nothing happened. She sprayed again, but still no reaction. He sighed and grabbed the can out of her hand. In one movement, he crumpled the can and threw it away.  
"Are you done?", he asked annoyed, while wiping off his face. The woman stared at him. Who were these creatures? Her pepper spray always worked. Carbine decided to intervene. Maybe a woman's touch would help to calm the woman down.  
"Listen, they are the good guys okay? And it was not their fault Charley died. They did everything they could to protect her. They were friends. Almost family. Don't blame them. If you want to blame anyone, then blame that stinking Plutarkian Limburger. He was the one who did all this."  
The woman stared at her. She was completely loss at words. This was too much. She could feel the world fading away. Her eyes rolled back and she fell on the ground. The mice stared at her.  
"Well, I must say. Charley sure handled our story way better than her…", Vinnie said, while shaking his head. "Now what?"  
"Let's bring her back with us to the scoreboard and wait till she wakes up. We can't just leave her here", Modo said, while picking her up. He gently set her in front of him on his bike.  
Vinnie looked one more time at Charley's grave and jumped on his bike. "Alright, let's ride."

When they got back in the scoreboard, they lay Charley's sister in Throttle's bed. They took a seat in their small kitchen. Vinnie glanced at the woman from time to time. It was so weird to see someone who looked so much like Charley. Violet grabbed his hand and squeezed it. He looked at her, with gratitude in his eyes. He was glad she was with him. It made it a lot easier to be back here.  
"This is weird, alright. How in the world is it possible that just when we are back at Earth, we bump into Charley's sister?", Modo wondered out loud.  
Throttle shrugged. "Coincidence? Could be. Let's wait till she wakes up."  
Thankfully, that didn't took long. The woman moaned and her eyes flew open. She looked around. The first face she saw was Vinnie's, who was smiling at her. She jumped out of the bed and tried to run away, but she stumbled and fell on the floor. Nobody moved.  
"Ma'am? Please, try to calm down. We are not the bad guys here, okay?", Modo said gently. He slowly came closer to her, not too fast since he didn't want to scare her off. She looked up at him, fear in her eyes. But also a little bit doubt. He sounded so friendly. He offered his hand.  
"It's okay. We are not gonna hurt you." His low voice rumbled softly. She couldn't help herself to make the resemblance with a big teddy bear. She looked one more time in his eyes, but she saw nothing else but kindness. She slowly took his hand and he helped her up.  
"There you go, ma'am", he said with a smile. "Why don't you join us? So we can talk?" He waved at the small kitchen. She slowly walked to a chair and sat down. Modo did the same. There was a short silence.  
"Why don't we introduce ourselves?", Modo said. "My name is Modo. This is my girl, Gaya." Gaya nodded friendly at the woman.  
"I'm Throttle and this is my wife, Carbine."  
Vinnie grinned arrogant. "Vincent van Wham, velocity atrocity and the baddest mamma jammer from this side of the asteroid belt. And this is my girl… eh wife… Violet!"  
The woman stared at him. "Eh, okay… Well… My name is Dani…" She gave a little smile, feeling a little bit ashamed she attacked one of them with pepper spray. It seemed they were truly friendly. Otherwise they would have harmed her by now.  
"Very well, Dani… So, what's your story? I am really sorry to say this, but Charley never mentioned she had a sister. So, we are kinda surprised to find you here", Throttle said.  
Dani shrugged. "That doesn't surprise me. That she didn't told you about me, I mean. We weren't that close anymore. Not after… Well, let's just say we only spoke to each other once a year or so. But when I heard nothing from her, and she didn't responded to my phone calls, I decided to visit her. She is my sister after all. And then I saw the Garage…"  
"I am really sorry for your loss, Dani ma'am", Modo said, gently patting her on the back.  
Dani's eyes filled with tears. "Thank you… I can't believe she is gone… Even if we didn't talked that much, she was always there you know? I knew she was somewhere on this planet living her life. To know she is gone… God, I wish I did more to let her know I still cared about her, you know?" Modo nodded. Nobody knew what to say. To make the pain less painful for Dani. Vinnie was still not very comfortable with this subject. It still hurt.  
"I am sorry I attacked you", she sniffed, while looking at Throttle. "I now can see you guys cared about her. And I should not have said those things. I was scared. I'm sorry."  
"It's okay", Throttle said.  
"But you are from Mars? I heard on the news the whole planet exploded without a cause. How is it you are still alive?"  
"We escaped right in time. We have found another planet to live on. But the fuel for the bikes is running low. So we came to Earth to get us a new stock", Carbine explained.  
Dani was impressed. There she was, a rich girl from New York, working hard as a lawyer. Complaining when it was raining or when her hair was ruined for whatever reason. Or when she broke a nail. The life from these creatures was so different. So hard. She respected that. But she couldn't imagine how that would be.  
"I am sorry about your planet. That must be really hard…" The mice nodded.  
"So, Charley helped you with your fight against the Plutarkians?", she asked.  
Vinnie nodded enthusiastic. "She was the best wrench jockey in whole Chi Town and she really knew how to ride a bike. She took care of us when we crashed here. Without her, we probably would have died here. You can be proud of your sister, she sure was a fighter...", he babbled with a spark in his eyes.  
Dani noticed with how much respect he was talking about her sister. The spark in his eyes told her everything. He had loved her sister. Poor thing. To be in love with an woman from another race who obviously would never fall for him, since he was an… animal?  
Hehe. If only she knew.  
Throttle lay a hand on Vinnie's shoulder to quit him down. Vinnie smiled sheepishly. He knew he was talking way too much. He was just feeling uncomfortable with sitting in the scoreboard, with a woman who was practically Charley. But also the opposite. She looked way too clean, and the clothing she was wearing was something Charley would never had bought.  
He cleared his throat. "So… You don't like bikes? How is that possible? As far as I understood from Charley, she came out of a biker family."  
Dani smiled. "Yeah, well… Only she and my father. Me and my mother, well, we were more from the girl things. No, Charley wanted to ride a bike since she could walk. I prefered to do my hair and nails…" God, how was it possible she was gone? Tears blurred her vision again.  
Modo gently took her hand. "It's okay, Dani. We all miss your sister very much. She was the best."  
Dani looked at him. "Yeah, she sure was…", she said, trailing off, deep in thoughts. Tears were now streaming down her face.  
She jumped at her feet. "Well, I better go back to New York. I came here to get answers, and I got them… Thank you for taking care of her. I eh.. Yeah, thanks. Maybe we will meet again… Of course not, you are from another planet. Well, goodbye then." She mumbled while walking to the door.  
"Are you gonna be okay?", Modo asked while going after her.  
She turned around. "Yes, of course! Thanks again!", and she ran outside, the door slammed behind her. The mice looked at each other.  
Vinnie shrugged. "Ah well, there is nothing we can do for her. Let's go find us some fuel, bro's." He swung his arm around Violet while walking to the bikes. Modo couldn't let go the worried feeling he had about Dani. She was very upset when she left. He could only hope she was gonna get home safely.

Meanwhile, Dani walked to the road to find a cab. Mice. From Mars. On bikes. She still couldn't believe it. Her sister, who was friends with them, who fought in their war, dead… This was too much. It was for the best to go home as soon as possible, back to her save life. To try to forget about all this. She looked around to see if she saw a taxi, but instead of that, a black limousine stopped right in front of her. The window came down and she saw a very fat but quite handsome face. But the smell… The smell coming out of that car was terrible. But she was a polite woman. She smiled at the man, who smiled back.  
"Can I give you a ride, beautiful lady?", he asked with a deep voice. She hesitated.  
"Eh, I will wait for a cab, but thank you." The door from the car opened and she saw two man with guns pointing at her.  
"I insist", the fat man said, still with that smile on his face. Dani looked behind her, but she saw nobody. Nobody who could help her.  
So she did what her was told, her heart racing. The door slammed and the car drove away.

* * *

Please review! :)


	3. Chapter 3

Well, I'll be damned. A review! Yes! I was already starting to feel a bit lonely here. Thanks, Youkai55, really appreciate it! :)

* * *

 **Chapter three**

The car just drove around the corner when the mice came down out of the scoreboard. When they landed, Modo hit the brakes. He sniffed the air.  
"Bro's. Is it just me, or does it really stink here?" The rest opened their visors and sniffed too.  
"Ugh. It stinks, alright. It almost smell like…like..." Vinnie said with a disgusted look on his face.  
"Plutarkians", Throttle finished his sentence. The guys looked at each other.  
"But… That is impossible. I killed Limburger. Right?", Vinnie said, suddenly doubting his own memory. But Modo and Throttle nodded.  
"Oh yeah, he was dead alright. So, that must mean there is another Plutarkian in town", Modo said, his eye glowing red. The girls shared worried looks.  
"Ehm… Well, this is not our planet, right? Let's go get the fuel and leave as soon as we can", Gaya said, not wanting to fight again.  
But Vinnie shook his head. "No way! Earth is also our home. Nobody is gonna destroy anything, not when I'm around. Well, myself as an exception, of course."  
Throttle sighed. "As much as I hate to say it, I agree with Vinnie."  
Modo nodded. "Yeah. Nobody is gonna destroy a planet when the Biker Mice From Mars are in town."  
Gaya sighed. Men and their testerone. Always on the front row to fight. But she understood where they were coming from. The hatred against the Plutarkians was deep. Violet was as determined as Vinnie, no surprise there. But Carbine was also. She looked at Throttle with a bitterly expression on her face.  
"Let's see if we can find that slime ball and shoot him to the seventh galaxy. No rules this time. No. I had it. This time, they won't get away with it. It's payback time, boys!"  
"Aaaooww, my kind of words! I love it when you talk like this, Carbine!", Vinnie cheered.  
Throttle smiled too. "Yeah, me too. Let's go find out where that fishface is hiding!"  
Gaya sighed, but nodded. "Okay, fine. Let's get this over with."

They drove through the city, trying to find out where they could find the enemy. But unfortunately, they didn't find him. And the fact that they didn't knew how the guy looked like didn't made things easier. They drove to the place where Limburger's tower used to be. But it was still a ground zero. Never rebuilt after the last time it went down. They all stopped.  
"Man, where is that stinkfish hiding?", Vinnie asked, frustrated. Throttle looked around, thoughtful. But it was Modo who came up with a good idea.  
"Bro's! Let's go visit Andy! Maybe he can tell us more about the new boss in town."  
Throttle chuckled. "Great idea, big fella. Let's ride."  
They drove to Andy's Diner and walked inside. There were no customers and Andy looked up surprised by seeing his old friends.  
"Hey there, chief Andy", Vinnie said while sitting at the bar.  
"Boys! Haven't seen you for a while. Where is that sweet Charlene?", the old man asked, suddenly with a worried glance on his face when he didn't saw the familiar face. Throttle sighed and took a seat.  
"She died last year, Andy. Didn't you hear?"  
Andy's face moved. "No… I heard the Garage was blown up. But I thought she was with you guys." He quickly recovered himself.  
"Well, can I offer you something to eat? On the house boys, just like the old days!"  
Vinnie almost jumped through the ceiling from excitement.  
"Aaaooww, hell yeah! Dogs and rootbeer!"  
Andy laughed. "Coming right up, Vincent." And he went to the kitchen to make a good meal for his most loyal customers.

When the meal was ready and served, Andy looked at the girls.  
"Ah, new faces. Welcome. I am Andy." The girls introduced and Gaya and Violet looked suspicious at the so called hotdogs.  
"Come on, sweetheart, dig in! It's the best food in town!", Vinnie mumbled with his mouth full. Violet carefully took a bite and smiled. Yeah, this was good alright. Gaya followed her example. Carbine already was familiar with the food, since it was not her first time on Earth. There was a silence for a moment, but of course Vinnie broke it by burping loud.  
"Ahhh, this is great." Violet shook her head. So charming. Andy smiled.  
"Where have you guys been all these time?", he asked at Throttle.  
Throttle shrugged. "Just here and there", he said vaguely. Strange enough, Andy still hadn't figured out that his loyal customers were aliens. He wanted it to leave it that way. Andy nodded, perfectly satisfied with that vague answer. Never been big talkers, these guys. Well, except for Vincent.  
Throttle swallowed his last bite and looked at Andy. "Say, Andy. We know that Limburger is gone. But word on the street is there is a new businessman in town. You know who that is?", he asked nonchalant, leaning on the bar. Andy nodded.  
"That's right. And he is even worse than Limburger. He is buying up the whole town. He wanted to buy my shop, but I was able to stop it. Cost me all my life saving, but at least I still have the business."  
"Ah man, Andy, that sucks", Vinnie said while stuffing another hotdog in his mouth.  
"You can say that, Vincent", Andy agreed with a sad expression on his face.  
"But my business is everything to me, so I don't care how much it's gonna cost me."  
Throttle nodded. "Do you have any idea where we can find this new eh… businessman?" Andy was drying off a glass with a towel.  
"Yeah, he has a building on the other side of town. It's huge, hard to miss. His name is Mozz Roquefort." Throttle thanked the old man. He stood up.  
"Come on, bro's, let's go." The rest said their goodbyes to Andy and walked outside. Vinnie jumped on his bike.  
"I need to refuel my bike, bro's", he said while looking at the meter.  
"Yeah, me too. And check the weapons, since we didn't used them for a long time", Modo said.  
Throttle nodded. "Okay, let's go back to the scoreboard and prepare our bikes. We can visit that stinkfish tomorrow."  
Vinnie pouted, but agreed. They drove back to the scoreboard to prepare for their payback.  
Oh, if only they knew that was gonna be a lot more difficult then they would thought.

"Aaaooww, refueled, reloaded and ready to rock!", Vinnie cheered. It was early in the morning and they were ready to go. Gaya still hesitated. Modo took her aside. "Listen, Gaya. If you don't want to come, that's is fine. You can stay here, you know that, right?"  
Gaya nodded. "Yeah, but I don't want to let you down."  
Modo shook his head. "You don't let me down. Nobody is gonna force you to fight."  
Gaya looked at him. "I honestly don't know what I want…"  
Modo pulled her in his arms. "Stay here, my dear. We will take care of that slimeball and tomorrow, we are gonna go back to Coelum and enjoy our peaceful life. Okay?" Gaya nodded. "Okay. Stay safe, darling. I love you."  
Modo kissed her. "I love you too." He walked to his bike.  
Vinnie was waiting impatiently. "Okay, everybody ready?", he said, revving his bike. "Let's rock… And ride!"

When they arrived at the other side of town, they saw a huge, black tower with the letters MR on it.  
"How could we have missed this yesterday?", Carbine wondered out loud. Throttle chuckled.  
"Good question." He stopped and the rest joined him. "Alright, let's play this smooth and subtle."  
Vinnie cracked his knuckles. "I say we blast our way in, destroy everything in sight, blow that slimeball through a wall…"  
Throttle nodded. "Hmmm. Smooth. Subtle. I like it!" They revved their bikes and drove to the building. They blasted their jets and when they were at the top, they burst through the window. Once inside, Vinnie opened his visor and smelled.  
"Ugh. Looks like we found the big cheese." They looked around them. They were standing in a big office. A huge desk was standing in the corner and there were aquariums everywhere which were, by the looks of things, filled with piranhas. Behind the desk hang a huge portrait of a fat man, with a conspiring smile on his face. He wore a black suit and his hair was black with a little bit of grey on the sides.  
"This guy got terrible taste", Vinnie said, looking disgusted. Suddenly, they heard a ping and the elevator door opened. The same man as on the portrait was standing in the opening and slowly walked inside, smiling. The mice grabbed their guns and stepped of their bikes.  
"Ahhh, my dear rodents. Finally we meet!", the man said, spreading his arms.  
"I have heard a lot about you. Mainly about the failure from Limburger. Apparently, he was having a hard time in destroying you."  
Throttle pointed his gun at the man. "Who are you?", he asked.  
The man laughed. "Oh, how rude of me. My name is Mozz Roquefort. Biggest business man in town. And the one who is gonna destroy the famous Biker Mice From Mars once and for all."  
Vinnie laughed too. "You sure a self assured. But I hate to break up this moment. We are holding all the cards here." And with a loud click, he got the safety pin of his weapon. He smiled at Mozz. But Mozz didn't burge. No, not at all. He laughed. Out loud.  
"Care to share what's so funny, cheesebreath?", Vinnie asked, slightly annoyed that his badass macho mouse act didn't had quite the effect he had hoped for.  
Mozz grabbed a remote control and pushed on a button. His ugly portrait slid up and a television came into view. The mice looked at it and saw Dani. In a cell. With handcuffs.  
"You see, I am holding all the cards here, you repulsive rodent. The moment you arrived on Earth, I was informed by my men. They followed you and saw you talking with this beautiful lady. It was not hard after that to grab her. To make sure you do what I want. And that is; surrender. If you don't, well… Then the life of your lady friend is about to end. Your choice."  
The mice looked at each other. Vinnie quickly looked around him and saw he was standing real close at the window, the closest of the whole group. If he just could jump out and escape… But what will that slimeball do if he did? Dammit. He looked at Throttle.  
Mozz sighed. "I'm waiting… And I will assure you, I do not have much patience…" He pointed at the screen. They saw a man standing next to Dani, holding a gun against her head.  
"Okay, okay!", Throttle said. He threw his gun on the floor and signed to the rest to follow his example. Vinnie hesitated. If they all surrendered, they were lost. He already had seen that this Mozz guy was a whole other level then Limburger. He would not hesitate to kill them all. Throttle looked at him with urgence.  
"Vincent, throw away your weapon! NOW!", he said angry. What was it with that mouse and disobeying orders? Throttle knew Vinnie was thinking of a way to escape, but he needed to accept they were trapped. Vinnie shook his head. He had an idea. It had worked before. So why not now? It was the only thing that popped up in his head right now. So let's just give it a try. He pretended to be panicked.  
"No! No! I will never be a prisoner again! NEVAH!" and he jumped at his bike. The bike revved her engine.  
"Time to blow your brains out, stinkfish!", he yelled, still with fake panic in his voice. He pushed a button on his bike.  
"NOOOO! Not reveeeeerseee!" and the bike drove backwards and flew out of the window.  
"NOOOOoooo!", they heard Vinnie's voice, becoming softer as he fell further down. They heard a loud explosion.  
Mozz looked in shock at first, but then started laughing so hard, his legs almost collapsed.  
"I can't believe this! What an idiot! How is it possible Limburger didn't get rid of you? What a loser!"  
Throttle and Modo shared a quick smile and shook their head. Crazy kid. But he sure had a lot of style. Well… His acting still needed a little work. It cost Violet a lot of strength to keep her face in check. This was the reason she loved him so much. Crazy mouse. Even Carbine took a deep breath to not to laugh. But they all acted like they were shocked by the loss of their precious friend. Violet even screamed his name and fell on her knees, pretending she was crying. Mozz was finally done laughing. "Very well, one down… four to go… It must be hard to lose your friend like that. What a stupid move."  
He kept laughing softly while calling for help. Goons came in the room to grab the mice and dragged them with them.  
Violet crossed her fingers that Vinnie was gonna be able to get them out before it was too late.

Meanwhile, Vinnie was racing back to the scoreboard. It looked like that cheese face fell for his trick. Well, he could be very convincing if he wanted to. Even fired a rocket to make it sound and look like he was street pizza now. He chuckled. Suckers. But he had to admit, he could use some help to get his friends out of there. And the only one left was Gaya. Great. Just great. But he had no choice. He flew inside the scoreboard and stopped with shrieking breaks. Gaya almost jumped out of her fur.  
"Jezus, Vinnie. You scare the death out of my!", she yelled. Vinnie opened his visor and smiled his most charming smile.  
"Sorry, sweetheart. But we have problems. And I need your help." Gaya looked behind him.  
"Where is everybody?", she asked worried. Vinnie stepped of his bike and pulled of his helmet.  
"They are taken by that stinking Plutarkian Mozz. I managed to escape on a real, smooth way, I must say. But hey, I'm the best."  
Gaya sighed. "Yeah yeah. I know. So now what? Is Modo okay?"  
Vinnie nodded. "Well, he was when I left. But we need to hurry. This cheese breath is a whoooole other level then Limburger. Oh, and he has Dani too."  
Gaya stared at him. "Dani?"  
"Yeah, Dani. You know? Screaming woman, pepper spray, Charley's sister?", Vinnie asked, feeling a little bit impatient by the slow processing from Gaya.  
Gaya nodded, also annoyed. "Yeah, yeah. I know. I was just surprised to hear it."  
Vinnie was pacing through the scoreboard.  
"We need to come up with a plan. But Throttle is the mastermind. I only do what I do best, blow up things. But right now, that is not really a smart move, I don't want to hurt my bro's or my pretty lady. Oh and Carbine. Oh right, and Dani. But what is the best way to do this…", he was mumbling in himself.  
Gaya followed him with her eyes. She was not experienced enough to come up with a good plan. She normally follows the rest. And now it was her and Vinnie's job to free their beloved friends. From all the mice who could escape, it has to be Vinnie. The one she actually hardly knew. This was going to be a disaster.  
Vinnie's tail was lashing through the air because of his growing annoyance.  
"Dammit! I wish Charley was here, she always knew what to do…", he growled. Gaya felt even more insecure now. See? Vinnie knew he couldn't count on her. She slowly sat down on the couch again and rested her head in her hands. She felt tears in her eyes. Modo… Oh her sweet Modo. Was she ever gonna see him again?  
A low growl escaped Vinnie's mouth and he slammed his fist against the wall.  
"Arrghh! Forget about a plan. Forget about a strategy. Let's do what I do best and that is blowing up that whole fucking building and get them out. Well, in other order. But whatever, who cares about details. Wait here, I'll be back!", and he ran outside to their spaceship. He searched through the weapons and found what he was looking for. He held up a huge bazooka.  
"Oh yeah!" he smiled evil and he ran back inside. He jumped at his bike and attached the bazooka on his bike.  
"Gaya! Ready to go?", he yelled while pulling on his helmet. Gaya slowly walked to her bike.  
"Vinnie, we need a plan. I can't just go in there and…" but Vinnie interrupted her.  
"I am really sorry to say this, sweetheart. But you don't have a choice. Unless you have a better idea?" He waited, but of course, Gaya didn't answer.  
"Just like I thought. Get your ass on that bike of yours, we are gonna save the day!"  
Vinnie leaned on his bike and grabbed his handlebars. "Hold on, bro's. It's time to bail, 'cause Vinnie is coming to whip some tail!" and he revved his bike and flew out of the window. Gaya hasty followed him, shaking her head. Oh boy. Vinnie on the loose without anyone to keep him in line. How was this gonna end?

Meanwhile, the others were in the same cell as Dani. The poor girl was in shock. She just sat on the ground, staring at a spot on the floor. Violet sat next to her, trying to get her out of it. But it was no use. She looked at Throttle, who shrugged. There was nothing they could do right now. Mozz had told them he was gonna send them to Plutark. For trial. Like they even needed one. They already knew what the outcome was gonna be. Death. And probably not on a very pleasant way. Throttle was glad they still had some time. Hopefully enough time for Vinnie to get them out.

Outside, Gaya and Vinnie were standing close by the building. Vinnie checked if there was any security, but he didn't saw anybody.  
"This is weird. Why is there nobody here?", he asked. Gaya shrugged.  
"So, now what?", she asked. Vinnie grabbed his bazooka and smiled.  
"Now, sweetheart, it's time to PARTY!" and he aimed the bazooka at the building. He shot a rocket and the entrance of the building exploded.  
"AAAOOWW! Come on, Gaya. It's time to rock and ride!" and Vinnie drove to the building and flew inside. Gaya followed him. Vinnie looked around. Where to go…  
"Let's see where my bro's bikes are…", he said while checking the computer on his bike. By the looks of things, the bikes were in the basement.  
"Bingo! Love ya babe, now start cooking!" and he drove to the basement, still followed by Gaya. But the explosion had alerted the goons from Mozz and they blocked the way of the white furred mouse and his companion. Vinnie smiled.  
"Looks like my fans are waiting for me. Gaya, split up. You go left and destroy them. You think you can do that?", he asked while looking at her. Gaya swallowed, but nodded. She didn't had a choice now. And she was willing to do anything to get her beloved Modo out of here. They both revved their bikes and split up. As expected, the half of the group followed Vinnie and the others Gaya.  
Vinnie drove with dangerous speed through the hallways. He suddenly drove up a wall and turned around to face the goons.  
"Alright partner. Give me your best shot", he said, while gritting his teeth. The goon shot at him, but missed. Vinnie smiled and pushed a button. Two rockets came out of his bike and the goons tried to run, but failed. Most of them were caught in the explosion. Vinnie was already gone and the leftovers followed him.  
Meanwhile, Gaya was having a hard time to get rid of her pursuers. But she suddenly got angry. Angry that again, she was in this kind of situation. Angry that again, somebody was trying to get her and Modo apart. Angry that again, somebody was standing in the way of happiness. And again, it were those STUPID Plutarkians. She gritted her teeth and turned around to face her enemy. She drove right at them and fired her laser, over and over again. Most of them were hit and she turned around and drove away, followed by the few who had survived her attack.  
She drove through a hallway and saw Vinnie approaching her. She knew what to do. They both drove straight at each other, with goons on their tails. At the last moment, they both jumped in the air. When they flew past each other, they high fived. The goons saw too late what was happening and crashed into each other.  
"Alright, way to go, Gaya!", Vinnie cheered. Gaya blushed. This was actually quite fun. She laughed at Vinnie.  
"I am beginning to understand why do you like this so much", she said. Vinnie laughed.  
"I know, right!" He looked around him.  
"Okay, back to business. But I think we need to split up. You go to the basement and get the bikes. I am going to search the group, alright?" Gaya nodded, determined. "Yes sir!", and she saluted with a teasing smile on her lips.  
Vinnie popped a wheelie. "Let's ride!"

Vinnie drove through the building, searching for his bro's and the lady's. Suddenly, he saw a lab. He hit the brakes. No way. No fucking way that this stinkfish also had his own, crazy doctor. But by the looks of things, he did. Where the hell was everybody? Why was the building so quiet? He didn't liked it all. He drove slowly into the lab. He heard a noise behind him and quickly turned around. There was a woman standing in the dooropening, wearing a lab coat. Vinnie stared at her. He had never, ever seen such a ugly woman before in his life, and that was saying something. Her skin was yellow as parchment, her hair thin and grey. She wore a huge glasses, wich made her bloodshot eyes twice as big. She smiled and showed her rotten teeth. Vinnie wrinkled his nose. Damn, she was disgusting, alright.  
"And where do you think you are going?", she said, her voice high and cracking.  
Vinnie shrugged. "Just passing through, ma'am", he smiled innocently. Smooth, Vinman, smooth. The woman laughed.  
"Passing through? No, I don't think so. Your journey will end here, you stinkin' rat!" and she pushed a button. A huge cage fell over Vinnie. He tried to get away, but he was too late.  
"Ah man… This is so not cool…", he sighed. He sure hoped Gaya was doing a lot better.

* * *

Please review! :)


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks for the reviews! Appreciate it!

* * *

 **Chapter four**

Meanwhile, Gaya was having more luck then Vinnie. She had found the bikes and shot their chains. She tried to contact Vinnie, but he didn't respond. Now what? She pricked her ears. It was way too silent. If Vinnie was breaking free their friends, then that would have give a lot more noise. She sighed and didn't knew what to do. But then, she revved her bike. She needed to keep going. She drove up and suddenly saw a hallway with cells in it. She jumped of her bike and ran to the first cell. There they were! All in one piece, thank the Mothers of Mars.  
Modo jumped at his feet when he saw her. "Gaya! What… How… Oh momma. I am so glad to see you!" he stuttered.  
Throttle looked behind Gaya. "Where is Vinnie? I thought I heard him earlier", he asked when he didn't saw his white furred bro.  
Gaya shrugged. "I don't know. He was supposed to get you out. I have the bikes with me." Violet felt a pang of worry, but pushed it aside.  
Gaya looked around her. "Step aside", she said and she grabbed her gun. She shot at the lock from the cell and opened the door.  
She jumped in Modo's arms. "I am so glad you are okay."  
Modo smiled. "You are one brave woman, Gaya."  
Throttle and Carbine walked into the hallway, but saw nothing.  
"Where is everybody?", he asked. Carbine shrugged.  
Violet tried to get Dani up to her feet, but the woman was still staring at the same spot on the floor.  
"Dani, come on, we need to get going", Violet pleaded at her, pulling on her arms to get her up. But still no response. Violet had it. She raised her hand and slapped the woman right in the face. That worked.  
Dani gasped and jumped up. "What… Where am I?", she asked, touching her face. She stared at Violet.  
"Did you just hit me?", she asked, slightly annoyed.  
Violet smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, sorry about that. But you didn't respond and I really needed you to wake up. Now, let's go. Stay with me, I will protect you. But you need to do as I say, alright?" and she grabbed Dani's hand.  
Dani nodded. How in the world was it possible that she got into this mess? She wished she had stayed in New York. This kind of life was not for her. Charley maybe could handle all this, but she sure didn't. She wasn't strong enough for this shit. But she had no other choice than to follow Violet. They walked to the bikes.  
"Oh no!", Dani said, shaking her head. "No way I am gonna ride a bike again. The last time was because I really wanted to know what happened to Charley, but I am not gonna do that again!"  
Violet grabbed her and looked her in the eye. "Well, you don't have a choice. This time, it's your life that is on the line. And I don't think the guys can handle another Davidson girl dying. And I have the feeling you are still very attached to you own life. So, hop on."  
Dani did what Violet said because she knew she didn't have a choice, but her hands were shaking. She was pulling on her skirt, since it was not an easy task to sit on a bike with a tight skirt like the one she was wearing. Her high heels didn't help either.  
Throttle sighed. How in the world was this girl related to Charley? He checked the screen at his bike.  
"By the looks of things, Vinnie is in the center of the building. Let's go get him."  
They all revved their engines and drove to the place where Vinnie was.

In the lab, Vinnie was tight to a chair. He was wiggling to get loose, but it was no use. He looked at the ugly doctor. She was busy typing on her computer. He actually felt bored. Where was the action? When she had caught him, robotarms on the ceiling had grabbed him and put him in this chair. And after that, nothing had happened. He sighed and the tip of his tail was twitching.  
"Say there, doc. Don't you have some kind of speech prepared to tell me about the terrible things you are going to do with me?", he asked. The doctor ignored him. Vinnie sighed again. "Heeelllooooo? Are you deaf or something?" The doctor still ignored him.  
"HEY! I am talking to you, you ugly zombie!", Vinne yelled agitated.  
That took her attention. She jumped at her feet and grabbed him by the throat.  
"Who are you calling ugly?", she breathed in his face, spit flew out of her mouth. Vinnie held in his breath. Pfew, she sure got bad breath.  
"Man, you really need to brush your teeth in the morning, doc." The doctor growled, but before she could do something, a voice echoed through the lab.  
"My dear doctor, please. Don't kill our guest already. He can't get away with all of this that easily." Vinnie froze. Mozz. The fish walked slowly towards them, like he was strolling in the park.  
"You sure got me there, rodent. I really thought for a second that you were stupid enough to end your life on the way like you did. But then I thought of it. If you really were THAT stupid, even Limburger could have get rid of you. So, I already knew you were coming back. And viola, here you are. Your actions are very predictable." Vinnie glared at him. "What do you want?", he asked.  
"What do I want? I want you dead, and your friends too. Chicago is mine. But first, we are going to play a little game. A little game of… hide and seek! I already saw your friends escaped. But they are way too loyal to leave this building without your presence. So, we will wait. And when they are coming through that door, well… Let's see what is gonna happen then."  
Vinnie shook his head. He had to admit, this guy played the game way better then Limburged had done. But apparently, he didn't do his homework that well and didn't knew everything about the habits of the mice. He heard the sound of bikes in the distant.  
"Well, I really hate to disappoint you, cheese breath."  
Mozz looked at him almost exciting. "Oh, do tell!"  
Vinnie smiled when an explosion made a hole in the wall next to them.  
"Well, we are the Biker Mice From Mars! And we don't use doors!"  
Mozz jumped back to avoid he was getting ran over by Modo. The group stopped in front of him and pointed their guns at Mozz.  
"End of the road, stinkface. Let him go", Throttle ordered. Mozz slowly raised his hands, but that smile never left his face.  
"My dear rodents, how rude of me. I totally forgot to introduce you to my scientist! This is Megan Loveless, well, DOCTOR Megan Loveless. And she is brilliant!"  
Vinnie snorted. "Yeah, well, maybe she is, but really, the eye want something too, you know…" Megan glared at him. Vinnie chuckled.  
Throttle waved with his gun. "Very nice reception, but fun is over. Let him go. NOW!" Mozz was still smiling. Throttle wished he could plant a bullet between his eyes, but as long as they got Vinnie, he needed to be careful. He looked at Mozz, who was still smiling and he lost his patience.  
"What do you WANT, cheeseface? Why are we standing here, doing nothing?", he asked while pointing the gun at the head of Mozz.  
Mozz smile disappeared. "The reason I let you getting out of that cell, is because I wanted you all at one place. And look, here we are! And now, my dearest doctor is gonna show you her newest invention!" and then his face darkened, showing the evil man, or fish, he actually was.  
"And you better get that gun out of my face, rodent. Don't forget we still have your friend in our hands", he growled with a dangerously low voice, his eyes almost spitting fire.  
Throttle lowered his gun. He needed to keep Vinnie safe. Vinnie was watching all this, very agitated he still was chained up. Megan laughed, a very unpleasant sound for the sensitive ears from the mice, and pushed a button. Behind them, a door opened.  
"May I introduce to you; Rocket!", she cackled. The mice looked at the man who was standing in the door opening. He was huge. His skin tightly over his big muscles and swollen veins on his arms. He wore huge boxing gloves and his black hair was short shaved. He smiled, but only the half of his face worked. The other half looked like it was paralyzed. He looked at the mice and raised his big hands.  
"It's not about how hard you can hit… It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward! So, let's see how much you mice can take!" and he laughed.  
"Oh momma, this feels like the earlier days all over again", Modo sighed.  
Vinnie was struggling to get free. But suddenly, his chains opened. He jumped up and rubbed his wrists. He didn't quite understand why they let him go, but hey, he was glad they did. Mozz looked at him.  
"I do like fair play. Well, sort of. Rocket, GET THEM!"

Vinnie whistled at his bike and he jumped on, just when Rocket ran towards them. The guy was way faster than they had expected giving his size. Before Vinnie could react, the huge boxing glove hit his head and he flew off his bike. He smashed against the wall and slid down.  
"Vinnie!", Violet yelled.  
Vinnie raised his hand. "I'm okay!" and he slowly stood up, dazed from the hard hit.  
Throttle and Modo gritted their teeth. "Nobody messes with our bro!", Modo growled, his eye glowing red. He raised his arm cannon and shot at Rocket, but he avoided it easily. Throttle stepped of his bike and activated his knuck knocks (A/N; is that how you spell this?).  
"Okay, come on, you walking boxing ball!", he said and jumped at Rocket. He tried to hit him in the face, but Rocket also avoided this attack. Throttle flew past him and smashed against the wall. He quickly stood up.  
"Well, not quit the landing I had in mind."  
Violet lost her patience. What was this ugly dude thinking, hitting her man? And hurting her friends? Her face became expressionless and her mouth a narrow line. She marched straight at Rocket and without slowing down, she kicked him right in the balls. Rocket definitely didn't see that one coming and bend over in pain. Violet swung her arm and hit him full in the face. He fell on the ground, very surprised that he was on the ground because of a woman.  
"Aaaooww, way to go, sweetheart!", Vinnie cheered.  
Violet smiled. "That was extremely satisfying."  
Throttle took advantage of the situation and hit Rocket with his powerfist. The guy flew out of the window and fell down. Vinnie popped his head out to see him landing in the fountain. He turned around to see Mozz.  
"It is just so hard to find good help these days", he said.  
Mozz rolled his eyes and sighed. "I know…"  
The mice jumped at their bikes and pointed all the guns they had at the fish.  
"I believe a hasty retreat is in order, my dear doctor Loveless. But mark my words, Biker Mice! I will get you. Maybe you won this battle, the war is not over yet! I will be back!" and they both disappeared in a flash with the help of a portable transporter.  
Throttle shook his head. "Dammit. We should have killed him when we got the chance…" but Carbine patted his back.  
"Patience, my love, patience. We will get him."  
Vinnie looked around and a mischievous smile appeared on his face.  
"Let's destroy this place, bro's! That will keep him busy so we can come up with a plan to end him, once and for all!"  
Throttle couldn't believe his ears. "Vincent! Did you just said that we need to come up with a plan?! What happened with the; blow everything in sight without thinking?"  
Vinnie glared at him. "You never let me blow everything in sight without thinking…"  
Throttle chuckled. "And for good reason. But okay, let's destroy this place!"  
Violet looked at Dani. "You okay?", she asked. Dani shook her head.  
"No, I am not! My butt hurts from sitting on this bike, I broke six nails today and my hair is ruined."  
Violet rolled her eyes. Could you believe this woman? But she said nothing. She didn't want to fight with her, since the poor girl lost her sister and she didn't asked to be in this situation.  
"You are coming with us, Dani. It's not safe for you to be on your own now Mozz knows he can use you as bait", Throttle said.  
Dani glared at him. "No. I wanna go home!" but Throttle shook his head.  
"Ain't gonna happen. We can't protect you in New York. We need to keep you safe till this is all over."  
Dani wanted to say something, but Vinnie held up a finger in the air.  
"Ah, ah, ah, sweetheart. This is gonna happen. So spare your energy instead of discuss with Throttle, cause the guy is very persevering. You are never gonna win this. So, are we done talking here? I really need to blow something up."  
Dani sighed, but said nothing. She stared at Vinnie. "Blow something up? What do you mean?", she asked, feeling worried.  
Violet laughed. "Just be glad you are riding with me instead of him." Dani didn't understand what she meant. But she soon found out.  
"Alright, let's rock… and ride!" and the mice drove through the building. Vinnie pushed a button on his bike and fired two rockets from the back of his bike. The rest did the same. Dani could feel the heat of the explosion and screamed. Where they crazy? But when she saw they drove straight at a window, she already could answer her own question. Yes, they were crazy. Vinnie shot the glass and they flew outside. Dani screamed like she was being tortured to death. Violet squeezed her eyes, since the high tone hurt her ears. They used the jets on their bikes to land safely on the ground. They stopped and turned around.  
"Guys… the building is still standing…", Vinnie pouted, but then his face lit up.  
He grabbed the bazooka and aimed at the building. He fired a rocket and the bottom floor exploded. That was the last push the building needed and it crumbled into dust.  
"AAAOOOWWW! The Biker Mice are back in town!", Vinnie cheered, while pumping his fist into the air. Everybody, except for Dani, laughed with him. They turned around and drove back to the scoreboard, very glad they had won this.  
One point for the Biker Mice From Mars, zero nada noppes for the Plutarkians.

That evening, everybody was finally calmed down from their victory. Especially Vinnie, who was talking for about an hour how many awesome stunts he had done. Gaya needed to remind him that it was her who had freed the group and that he was captured by Megan. After that, he was awfully quiet.  
Now it was dinnertime and they were eating that disgusting porridge again. Vinnie almost threw up, but held it in just in time.  
"Ugh. I am done", he said, sliding his plate away.  
The rest continued eating. Dani, who had looked very suspicious at the food when she had seen it for the first time, was now eating with taste. She was a little bit recovered from all the events from this day, but was very quiet. Everybody let her. They all didn't really knew how to handle this woman. She was so different from Charley. Vinnie looked at her from time to time, but said nothing. He also didn't know what to say to her.  
After dinner, everybody crashed on the couch or the beds to watch TV. Dani was nowhere to be seen.  
After an hour, Vinnie couldn't hold himself back anymore. He had this strange feeling about that girl. It was definitely no love. He loved Violet with every cell in his body. But he still had a sort of feeling that… yeah what actually? To protect her? To get to know her? She was Charley's sister after all. Maybe that was the reason. He didn't know. Normally he wouldn't come near such a beauty princess type of girl. No, he liked the fighters. The girls who weren't scared to make their hands dirty. But still… He gave Violet a kiss on the temple and stood up.  
"Be right back", he said and he looked outside if he saw Dani. He didn't, so there was actually only one place where she could be. On the roof.  
He climbed up and saw he was right. Dani was sitting on the edge of the roof, her legs dangling over the edge. She was staring in the distance. He slowly approached her and cleared his throat.  
"Mind if I join you?", he asked. Dani shook her head. He took place next to her and looked at the sky. Since he had seen the stars from Coelum, this was kind of a dissapointment. But it was a clear sky tonight, so it was still a beautiful sight.  
Vinnie glanced at Dani from the corners of his eyes. He saw that she had cried. Oh man. What was he thinking? That he was the one to make her feel better? That he was capable to have a good conversation? He sighed.  
Dani glanced at him too. She took the chance to take a good look on him. His body, very well formed and musculair. His tail lying beside him, looking like a white snake. She saw the tip of his tail was twitching. Was he always doing that? Or was he feeling nervous? His hands, small fingers sticking out the black gloves. Actually quite beautiful hands for a… mouse...  
His khaki pants, baggy and with sacks on the side. A holster with a gun on his right leg. Black, worn out biker boots on his feet. His black t-shirt, tightly stretched over his muscular chest. Over the shirt, bandoliers crossing over his chest, with some kind of weapons in it. A purple bandana around his neck.  
His face, with on the right side some kind of metal plate. But she was sitting on his left, so she saw the features of the unharmed side of his face. His big ears, twitching by every noise he was hearing. Two studs in his left ear. His nose, his buck teeth. His antenna, looking like it was made from some kind of soft material. And his fur… His snow white fur looked very soft. She could smell his scent and it surprised her that he didn't smell like an animal at all. No, he kinda smelled… nice... She realized he looked a lot more human than a mouse, actually. And with the moonlight shining on his face, she noticed he was actually quite handsome. On a strange, unique way.  
He looked at her and she stared into his ruby, red eyes. Friendly eyes, but with a mischievous spark in it. He gave her a little smile and winked at her. She smiled back with a little blush on her cheeks and they both looked at the sky again.  
Vinnie looked at her again. It was obvious that this girl was related to Charley. But hair was lighter, with blonde picking in it. It looked like she was taking good care of her hair, because it looked very soft. A major difference with Charley's hair, since she always had grease in it from her work as mechanic. Dani's face was thinner, her nose more pointed and her lips less full. This all gave her some kind of hard expression on her face. Almost arrogant. Her eyes were almost the same as Charley's, but he could see now there was also some kind of blue mixed through the green.  
Her clothing was fashionable, her nails were perfectly done. Well, they used to be. Vinnie saw she was right and that six nails were ruined. She wore a tight skirt and she had long, thin legs. The heels on her shoes were so high, it was a wonder to Vinnie she even could walk on them.  
"Maybe this is a stupid question, but are you okay, sweetheart?", he asked, not standing the silence anymore.  
Dani shook her head. "I am not. This day is the worst day of my life. The worst part was to hear my sister is dead, but everything that happened after that… Well, not my kind of thing."

Vinnie nodded, not knowing what to say. Dani looked at him.  
"Are you okay?", she asked.  
"Who? Moi? Yeah, fine... why you ask, sweetheart?", Vinnie said, not knowing why she would ask this.  
"Because between all the bravado and macho talk, you actually look kind of sad", Dani said, looking at the stars.  
Vinnie stared at her. She had the same gift to see right through him as Charley, that was for sure. He didn't answer.  
"Did she die quickly? Pain free?", Dani asked, tears in her eyes.  
Vinnie swallowed and stared at his feet. She looked at him, almost pleading.  
"Please, I need to know." Vinnie looked her in the eye and sighed.  
"Yeah. Yeah, she died quickly and without suffering.. Probably got hit on the head with something, probably a rock. And her body was still intact…"  
Dani noticed he didn't want to talk about this. But she didn't care. It was her sister. She needed to know everything.  
"Did you found her?"  
"No, Modo did."  
"Did you bury her?"  
"No, Throttle and Modo did."  
"Where were you?"  
"Out."  
Dani sighed. Talking with this mouse was not that easy.  
"Out where?"  
"Drinking."  
"Drinking?"  
"Yeah, drinking."  
"And the man.. fish who did this? Did he get away with it?"  
"Nope. I've killed him."  
"Was she happy here?"  
"I guess so."  
"Was she glad you guys were here? Did she like to fight side by side with you?"  
"Yeah, she did. We always tried to protect her, but she didn't listen."  
"Do you blame yourself for what happened?"  
"I did."  
"Was there anything you could have done to save her?"  
"Nope."  
"You loved her, right?"  
Silence.  
Vinnie sighed. He knew he wasn't going to get away with short answers alone. She had the same persistence as her sister.  
"Yeah, I loved her. Back on Mars, I lost everything, including the girl I loved. When we crashed here, I was… well… you know... But then I met Charley."  
Dani swallowed. "That must have been hard… To love someone who didn't love you back…"  
Vinnie turned his head to face her. "And you are saying...?"  
Dani was shocked by the intensity of his voice.  
"Eh… I… Well, since you are a… well…", she stuttered.  
Vinnie shook his head. "You are unbelievable. Hate to tell you this, but your sister did love me. It just wasn't meant to be."  
Dani felt stupid. She had hurt him. She lay a hand on his shoulder. His fur was indeed very soft.  
"Vinnie, I am sorry. I just thought… Well, this is all new for me. I never believed there was other life in this whole universe besides us, but now I am sitting on the roof from a scoreboard with an alien mouse who rides a bike… Well, cut me some slack, okay?"  
Vinnie shrugged. "Fine. What happened between you guys?", he asked.  
Dani didn't want to talk about this, but she did since Vinnie kinda opened up to her.  
"I eh… I had a lot of problems when I was a teenager. I met this guy, and he had no good influence on me. Long story short, I ended up as a drug addict. Charley did everything to help me, but I was stubborn. Didn't listen to her. Even stole money from her. Used her to get drugs. Well, after a few years she was done. Done with me. Done with my addiction. So she left to Chicago and opened the Last Chance Garage. I got clean a few months later. We talked and sort of made things right, but it was never the same again. Even when I moved to New York, graduated as a lawyer and found a good job, she still kept her distance."  
"You hurt her", Vinnie said, like he was stating the obvious. But he was right. She had hurt her.  
"Yeah… and now she is gone, and I never got the chance to tell her how sorry I am. Sorry for everything. How much she meant to me. How grateful I was that she was there by my side when everybody was already gone. I tried to tell her, but I just couldn't find the words, you know? I was embarrassed. I felt ashamed I had let it come so far."  
Vinnie gave her a sad smile. "I bet she knew. She just needed time."  
Dani burst into tears. "Oh god, why her?"  
Vinnie just sat next to her. He was still not good with crying woman, only if it was Violet. But Dani was fine with that. She prefered to cry on her own. Slowly, she calmed down.  
"I'm sorry. I am not good company right now."  
"It's okay, sweetheart. We all miss your sister very much..."  
"You are married now?", Dani asked, curious how that happened. He didn't seem the type to settle down.  
"Yeah, I am. And I am even more surprised than you are." He smiled when she was trying to apologize.  
"No need to say sorry. If it wasn't for Violet, I probably would have killed myself. Losing Charley was… devastating..."  
Dani nodded. She felt sorry for him.  
"You are so different than her, you know? Yeah, of course you know, you are her sister after all. But still, you also have a lot of similarities. I must say, sweetheart. It is really weird to sit here next to you."  
Dani laughed. "It also really weird to sit here next to you. God, what a strange world…"  
Vinnie laughed too. "I know right."  
There was another silence. "You coming down with me? Everybody is watching TV, maybe you wanna join us?", Vinnie asked while standing up.  
He balanced on the edge on one foot, looking at Dani.  
She shook her head. "No thank you. I just need some time alone."  
Vinnie jumped down. "Alright. See you later then." Dani waved at him and Vinnie climbed down again.  
He climbed in his hammock, deep in thoughts. The rest looked curious at him, but said nothing. The rest of the evening went by peaceful.

Almost everybody was already sleeping, but Violet and Carbine were still awake.  
"Dani is still up there, do we need to get her?", Carbine asked, not knowing how to handle that woman.  
Violet chuckled. "I will go get her. You go to sleep. See you tomorrow, okay?" Carbine agreed and climbed next to Throttle. Violet climbed up to the roof, wondering where this Dani girl and Vinnie had talked about. Vinnie was awfully quiet the whole evening and was the first who fell asleep. Not very Vinnie like. But she knew it was hard for him to be back here. And now there was Charley's sister who, if Violet had to believe everybody who had knew Charley, looked a lot like her. She looked at the roof and saw Dani sitting. She walked over to her.  
"Dani, you okay?"  
Dani shook her head. "No. I am sitting here for hours now, wondering if I am going to jump down or go back inside."  
Violet was completely took off guard by this comment. "Eh…Well, I think you better go back inside. I think jumping off a building is not gonna make you feel better…", she said hesitantly.  
Dani laughed humorless. "Maybe not, but at least I don't have to feel this pain anymore."  
Violet took place next to Dani. "I know how you feel. And you have to believe me, even if it's sounds like complete bullshit right now, it will get better. Your pain will never go away, but it will wear out."  
Dani looked at her. "How do you know?"  
"I lost both of my parents in one night."  
Dani looked shocked. "How old are you?"  
"19. I was 18 when it happened."  
Dani was impressed. This girl was way more mature than she had been on that age. But did she had a choice, growing up in a war? No.  
"Wauw... I eh.. I am sorry for your loss."  
"I am also sorry for your loss. But please, don't give up now. Keep fighting. I know you can. You are a Davidson after all, and if I need to believe Vinnie, Davidson's are fighters. Charley was. She wouldn't want you to give up, you know?"  
Dani began to understand why this girl had saved Vinnie. She sure knew where she was talking about.  
She sighed. "Deep down, I know you're right. I will come down with you."  
Violet nodded. "Do you have some extra clothes somewhere?", she asked when she saw how Dani was struggling with her tight skirt.  
"Yeah, back at my hotel."  
"Tomorrow we will go get your stuff, okay? It's not safe to go now, but I can assure we will go tomorrow. I can imagine it's nice to have some clean clothes and your own stuff… But I can give you a shirt from Vinnie to sleep in, if you want?"  
Dani hesitated. Violet laughed. "I promise you it's clean."  
Dani laughed sheepishly. "Okay, yes, that would be nice."  
They both climbed down and Violet searched through Vinnie's stuff.  
"Ah, got it", and she gave a black shirt to Dani. Dani thanked her and looked around where she could sleep. She saw Throttle and Carbine in the bed below, Modo and Gaya in the bed above and Vinnie in the hammock.  
"You can sleep on the couch if you like?", Violet asked. Dani nodded. She looked at Violet.  
"Why are you being so nice to me? I must be a real pain in the ass for soldiers like you."  
Violet gently took her hand. "You are different, but you are also alone. Nobody should be alone, definitely when they are going through a hard time."  
Dani felt tears in her eyes. Martian Mice were definitely way friendlier than all the humans she had met so far.  
"Thank you", she whispered.  
Violet smiled at her. "Good night, Dani. If you are need someone to talk to, just wake me up, okay?" Dani nodded. "Good night, Violet."

She walked to the couch and quickly changed her clothing. Vinnie's shirt was way too big, but that was nice. She grabbed a blanket and a pillow and lay down on the couch. She looked how Violet crawled next to Vinnie in his hammock and how Vinnie wrapped his arm around her. And suddenly, she felt really lonely. She swallowed away her tears and closed her eyes. Thankfully, she was exhausted and she quickly fell asleep.

* * *

Pfew, that was one long chapter. Please review! :)


	5. Chapter 5

Thanks for the reviews, my loyal readers! :D

* * *

 **Chapter five**

The next morning, Dani was the first to wake up. She opened her eyes and felt immediately her grieve again. She sighed and looked at the mice. They were all still sleeping. She felt restless, so she stood up. She looked around the scoreboard. It was kind of a nice hangout. The kitchen was small, but useful. The small bathroom too. But no lock on the door. So no way she was gonna take a shower here. Her eyes fell on the bikes. She decided to take a closer look at them. It sure were beautiful machines. The red racing bike from Vinnie stood close by her. She kneeled down and stared at the details. Amazing. But when she touched it, the bike beeped and revved her engine. The cannons popped out and aimed at Dani. She stumbled back and bumped against someone very big and strong. She looked around and saw Modo smiling at her. He walked to Vinnie's bike and patted her.  
"It's okay, Sweetheart. She is one of the good guys." Vinnie's bike beeped angrily, but pulled back. Modo turned around to face Dani.  
"You okay, Dani ma'am?"  
Dani nodded. "Yeah… yeah I guess I am… What happened?"  
Modo smiled. "These bikes are no normal bikes, ma'am. They have AI in it and are very loyal to their riders. Vinnie's bike is the same as Vinnie, kind of a hot head. She don't like it when strangers come near her. She and Vinnie are very close. We all are, actually. With our bikes."  
"Ah, right. That explains a lot..", she said, smiling sheepishly, pretending like she totally understood what Modo was saying and that bikes with their own mind were perfectly normal. In reality, she wanted to scream. How many surprises could she expect futher? She suddenly realized she was standing here in only Vinnie's shirt. Her cheeks turned red and she quickly walked back to the couch and put on her normal clothes.

After breakfast, Violet asked Throttle if she could take Dani out to go grab her stuff from her hotel.  
Throttle nodded. "Sure, but take Vinnie with ya, okay?"  
Violet saluted. "Sir, yes, sir!" Throttle glared at her.  
Violet smiled sheepishly. "Just kidding, Throttle!", she said quickly and turned around.  
Throttle shook his head. That girl started to look more like Vinnie everyday. Oh boy.  
"Dani? You ready to go?", Violet asked while looking at Charley's sister.  
"Oh yes, I am. I really need clean clothes, do my hair and makeup and OH! Find a nail studio while we're at it", Dani said, grabbing her bag.  
Violet rolled her eyes. "Yo, Vinster! Ready to escort two lady's through the city?", Violet asked at her white furred husband.  
Vinnie grinned arrogant. "Oh yeah! Gotta make sure the ladies come back in one piece, right?"  
Violet laughed. "Yeah well, we do can take care of ourselves, you know. Well, I do. Not so sure about Dani, no offense. But Throttle want you to come with us."  
"Well, then. Where are we waiting for?" Vinnie jumped at his bike and popped a wheelie. Violet and Dani climbed on Violet's bike and with a lot of noise and smoke, they flew out of the window. "AAAOOWW!"  
Modo and Throttle looked at each other.  
"Oh momma. You sure it's safe for the city and the citizens to let these two go out all by themselves?", Modo wondered.  
Throttle chuckled. "Yeah well, I figured Vinnie needed to blow off some steam. So, let's just keep our fingers crossed he is not gonna destroy the whole city. But I think we can trust him."  
Gaya laughed. "Right. But I must say… It's lovely quiet here now. So I say; let's enjoy the peace now we can."  
Everybody laughed and dropped on the couch to watch tv, with in the distance the high pitched battle cries from Vinnie.

"AAAOOWWW! On the road agaaaaiiiin!", Vinnie happily cheered, while driving full speed through the streets and using cars as a ramp to pull some dangerous looking stunts in the air. Violet followed on a slower pace.  
Dani stared at Vinnie. "Is he crazy?", she asked with her eyes wide open.  
Violet shrugged. "Some say he is. Let's just say he…" She trailed off when she saw Vinnie flying up in the air and making somersaults with his bike.  
"Okay, forget about what I said. He is crazy." Vinnie landed perfectly on the ground.  
"Sooo ladies, where to go?", he asked, while zigzagging between the traffic. He cut off a car and the man inside immediately slammed on his horn. Vinnie just laughed and waved friendly at the man. That made the man more pissed and he tried to cut off Vinnie. But of course, he never stood a chance. Vinnie hit the brakes and the guy needed to quickly change lanes to avoid a crash. He flew past Vinnie, who waved at him again with his trademark smile.  
"Man, some people shouldn't be allowed behind the wheel", he said, while shaking his head.  
Violet sighed. "Yeah, like you maybe? Where is your hotel, Dani?"  
Dani guided them to her hotel. They parked the bikes and stepped off. "  
Keep your helmet on, Violet", Vinnie said when he saw she was going to pull it off.  
"Right. Stupid." Dani did pull off her helmet.  
"Are you waiting outside, or..?", she asked, still a little bit uncomfortable to be with two alien mice.  
"We are coming with you, sweetheart. Throttle is gonna bite my head off if I lose you", Vinnie said, while pushing her inside.  
Violet followed, but first she quickly looked around her. By the looks of things, they were not discovered yet. But unfortunately, unknown to Violet, they were. Two men were sitting in a car on the other side of the road. One of them said something in a radio.  
Meanwhile, Dani and the two mice walked past the reception. The woman who was sitting behind the desk stared at the two bikers.  
Dani waved at her. "Good morning!", she said with her most charming smile.  
The woman waved back, a little hesitant. "Good morning, Miss Davidson."  
They took the elevator to the second floor and Dani walked to a door at the right.  
"Very well, here we are", she said while opening the door with a card. Vinnie and Violet followed her inside. Vinnie whistled between his teeth.  
"Whoa. Nice place you got here." The room was huge, with a king size bed on one side and a massive bathroom on the other side. In the middle there was a small living room. Dani waved it away.  
"Yeah, well. A girl needs her comfort, right?", she said. She turned around.  
"Okay you two, I really need to take a shower. I will be right back." Dani locked herself in the bathroom with a heavy sigh. She looked in the mirror and gasped. Her hair looked like a bird nest and her make up was a mess. She quickly took off her clothes and stepped in the shower. She smiled when the warm water touched her skin. Ahhh. She had needed this so badly.  
In the room, Vinnie was pacing around. "Ah man, how long is this gonna take?", he asked.  
Violet shrugged. "Do I look like the kind of girl who knows?", she asked back.  
Vinnie decided to keep his mouth shut. This could be dangerous ground. He walked to the radio and turned on Sweet Georgie Brown. Heavy metal came out of the speakers and Vinnie let out his breath.. He dropped on the couch and tried to wait patiently till Dani was ready.

After half an hour, when Vinnie was almost climbing against the walls, Dani came out of the bathroom. She wore a pair of jeans with sneakers and a sweater. She had decided she definitely needed some casual clothing as long as she was gonna be with the mice. Her hair was in a loose ponytail and she had redone her make up. Vinnie jumped of the couch and glanced out the window. He saw the same car as before, still standing on the other side of the road. He suddenly didn't trust it. His intuition was telling him there was something wrong. He rubbed his chin.  
"Vinnie, is there something wrong?", Dani asked, looking at the serious expression on the face of the white furred mouse. Vinnie looked on more time outside and turned around with a big grin on his face.  
"Well, it's truly a shame that this beautiful room is gonna be trashed." Violet and Dani stared at him.  
"DOWN! NOW!", Vinnie yelled and he dragged the two girls with him on the ground. Just in time. A rocket flew against the building and exploded. The window shattered and rocks were flying through the room.  
Vinnie looked at Dani and Violet. "You okay?", he asked. Violet nodded, but Dani didn't react.  
"Oh god, here we go again", Violet sighed and she raised her hand. Again, she slapped Dani in the face. And again, Dani gasped and stared at Violet.  
"This is getting an old habit, isn't it?", she asked tiredly. Violet smiled, she just couldn't help it. Vinnie looked around them.  
"We need to go, now." They stood up and ran to the door. Vinnie opened it and saw two men with guns smiling at him. He narrowed his eyes and in one movement, he grabbed his gun and shot the guns out of the hands of the goons. They stared at their hands, smoke coming off. Vinnie slammed their heads together and they fell unconscious on the ground.  
"Let's go", he said happily. Dani grabbed Violet's hand. Vinnie pushed on the button of the elevator. He looked around him. And at the elevator. And around him. And at the elevator.  
"This is taking too long, let's take the stairs. We need to get to the bikes." But when he opened the door to the stairs, he saw dozens of goons climbing up. He slammed the door shut and slowly turned around with a big grin on his face.  
"Seems that the bikes need to come to us" and he whistled hard between his teeth. They heard the engines and soon after that, the two bikes blast their way in. Vinnie jumped on his and looked at Violet.  
"You take Dani back to the scoreboard, I handle the goons. Now, GO!" Violet jumped at her bike and whirled her tail around Dani's waist. She set her behind her and revved her bike.  
"Be careful, cutie", she said and drove out of the window.  
At that moment, the door from the stairs burst open and the goons came out. Vinnie was already prepared. He was lying on his bike like he was chilling at the beach and waved with a grenade.  
"Hey boys! This really is some party, huh? Let's make it even more explosive!" and he pulled the pin out with his teeth. Some of the goons had worked for Limburger and already knew what was coming next. They tried to run away, but Vinnie threw the ticking grenade at them and quickly flew out of the window, followed by the heat from the explosion.  
Vinnie laughed. "So long, SUCKERS!" and when his tires hit the ground, he followed Violet back to the scoreboard. He soon catched up with them, but when he wanted to say something, his bike suddenly stopped. Since Vinnie was not prepared for that, he flew off his bike and because off the speed he was driving by, he bounced at the asphalt a couple off times before he became to an halt. He moaned in pain.  
"VINNIE!", Violet yelled and turned her bike.  
Vinnie lifted up his head. What the fuck did just happened? He looked behind him and saw a truck with some kind of grabbing hook coming out of the front. The hook was attached at the rear wheel from his bike. His bike tried to get free, but it was no use. Vinnie tried to get up to get his bike, but he wasn't fast enough. Another hook, coming from an helicopter, grabbed his bike and lifted it up in the air.  
"No…", Vinnie whispered, suddenly realizing what was happening. They were stealing his bike. HIS bike. He scrambled at his feet and grabbed his gun. He shot at the helicopter, but missed. His bike disappeared into the helicopter and it flew away. The truck was already gone. Violet stopped next to Vinnie and jumped of her bike. "Jezus, Vinnie. Are you okay?", she asked when she saw the wounds on his arms and legs. His pants was torn, just like his shirt. Vinnie didn't even noticed it. He was staring at the sky. His tail began to twitch. His fists clenched. He gritted his teeth. Violet recognized the signs. Oh boy. She quickly ran back to her bike and contacted Throttle.  
"Throttle, come in!"  
The radio crackled. "Violet, what's wrong?"  
"We got problems and Vinnie is losing it. I need your help. Use the tracker on my bike to find our location and get your tail over here, pronto!", Violet yelled in the radio while keeping an eye on Vinnie. He was still staring at the sky.  
"On our way!", Throttle responded.  
Violet slowly walked back to Vinnie. "Vinnie, calm down", she said, with her hands raised in the air.  
Dani was staring at all this. She quickly understood one thing; don't touch the bikes of the mice. She now knew what Modo was talking about this morning.  
Vinnie growled. "They took my BIKE! That slimy, hideous, fucking… GOD DAMMIT!" He slammed his fist in his other hand.  
"Vinnie, please.. We will get it back, but you are hurt. And we need help, we…" but Vinnie grabbed her by the shoulders.  
"I need my bike!" he said, panic in his eyes. He let her go and started to pace. He looked at Violet's bike.  
"Give me your bike. Now. I am gonna get my ride back!", and he marched at Lady Bug. Violet grabbed his arm.  
"Vinnie, you are not thinking straight. Going there alone is gonna be a suicide mission. And you are hurt! Listen to me, please…" but Vinnie yanked himself free. Violet sighed frustrated. What was taking Throttle so long? He knew how to handle this. Vinnie jumped on Violet's bike and revved the engine. Dani was still sitting on the back of the bike and opened her mouth to stop Vinnie, but suddenly, a tan coloured hand grabbed Vinnie's tail. Vinnie yelped and looked around.  
"Throttle! Get your hands off of me!"  
Throttle grabbed him and dragged him off Violet's bike.  
"Calm down, Vin, we.." but Vinnie shook his head.  
"Throttle, you don't understand! They took my BIKE! And I really need to get her BACK! It's my BIKE bro, my BIKE!", he yelled angry and in panic, his eyes fuming.  
"I need my bike, I need my bike, I need my bike, I need…"  
Modo intervened. "Vinnie! Vinnie, calm down! We will get it back, bro! Bikers honour!"  
Vinnie was breathing heavily. Throttle swung an arm around his shoulders and guided him to his bike.  
"First, we go to the scoreboard to fix you up. Then we are gonna think of a plan to get your bike back. It is gonna be okay, Vinnie. We will get her back."  
Vinnie took place behind Throttle. "You bet we will", he growled.  
He now suddenly felt the pain and looked at his body. "Ah man… This better not leave scars…", he sighed. He had multiple abrasions on his arms and legs from sliding over the asphalt. He pulled the torn shirt over his head and threw it away. Didn't had that much use since it was completely destroyed. Dani saw the scars on his back and gasped. Vinnie rolled his eyes, but ignored her. Great. Just great. Throttle quickly drove away, followed by Modo and Violet.  
"What happened to him?", Dani asked. Violet sighed.  
"He was tortured. But don't tell him I've said that. He is kinda sensitive on that point."  
Dani said nothing. She felt sorry for Vinnie. For all of them, actually. Their lives definitely weren't straight roads. She looked at her destroyed nails and couldn't help herself but laugh. First world problems. This whole adventure sure made her realize how to put things into perspective.

When they were back at the scoreboard, Vinnie removed his bandoliers and quickly pulled on a new shirt. He emptied the pockets from his pants. When he was done, there was a whole weapon arsenal lying on his hammock. He switched pants and put everything back. When he clicked his bandoliers to each other, Carbine walked over to him.  
"Vinnie, are you okay? What happened?", she asked with a worried look.  
Vinnie swirled around. "No, I am not. They got my ride. And not to mention what they did to my pride!"  
Modo had grabbed the first aid kit. "Sit down, Vinnie. I need to check on your wounds."  
Vinnie shook his head. "No way! We need to go get my bike and make them pay, BIG TIME!"  
Throttle was standing before him. "Vincent. We already discussed this. First; fix you up, second; think of a plan and then we will go get your ride back."  
Vinnie was looking at Throttle, his tail was lashing through the air. He was in conflict with himself. Should he punch Throttle in the face, or was he gonna listen to him? But anger took over. And panic. He felt like he was missing a part from himself now his bike was gone. And then there was Throttle, always so calm and telling him what to do. No Vinnie, chill. No Vinnie, first a plan. Vinnie, we need to think this through. Vincent, this, Vincent, that. Blablabla. He was sick of it and he felt he was losing control. He knew but he couldn't stop it, no matter how hard he wanted to. He clenched his fist and punched Throttle right in the face. Throttle stumbled back. "VINNIE!", Violet yelled in shock.  
Throttle looked at Vinnie with disappointment written on his face.  
"You done? Feeling better now?" Vinnie shook his head, he felt so frustrated and restless.  
"Well, too bad. Because if you hit me one more time, you are gonna regret that so badly", Throttle said with dangerously low voice.  
Vinnie sighed frustrated. "I'm sorry, bro. It's just…" but Throttle held up his hand.  
"Shut up, Vincent and go sit on that chair, pronto. Modo will clean your wounds." He gave Vinnie one more glare and turned around and left the board. He needed to calm down. Vinnie slowly sat down, staring angrily at the floor. Violet knew there was nothing she could do now for him. He wasn't thinking straight and not listening to anybody. So she followed Throttle. He sat on the roof from the scoreboard.  
"Throttle, you okay?", she asked, rubbing his back.  
Throttle took a deep breath. "Yeah. Just cooling down, before I do something I am gonna regret."  
Violet gave a sad smile. "Hitting him back, you mean? Yeah, well, he kinda deserve it if you do."  
Throttle looked at her. "Maybe. But I am not that kinda guy."  
Violet nodded. "I know. I know you are not. I am sorry that Vinnie sometimes is that kinda guy. I can't believe he just did that..."  
Throttle took her hand. "It's not your fault, Violet. I know Vinnie for a long time. I know how he is. He is a good guy. Just never learned how to handle his emotions." Violet breathed in sharply. "What do you mean with that?", she asked curiously.  
Throttle sighed. "Not my story to tell, babe. Let's just say he didn't had a loving mother, okay? And his father… Well, he tried. Anyway, I know why he is acting like he is. But it's not always an excuse and he knows that. He crossed a line today. But he will realize that. Later. First, we need to find a way to get his ride back, before he really loses it."

Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Mozz was gloating. Since his head building was destroyed by those bothersome rodents, he was in another building. He owned a lot of buildings in this city, thankfully. He looked at the red racing bike which was chained to the ground. The bike sure wasn't easy to handle. She was revving her engine and beeping angrily. She fired with her laser to Megan Loveless, who was running through the room to avoid it. Mozz was standing out of range, enjoying that they were able to get their hands on one of their bikes. He knew for sure that those rodents were gonna come here to get it. And he was gonna make sure he was prepared.  
The perfect mousetrap… With the perfect bait…  
He laughed, the evil sound echoed against the walls. Life could be so much fun sometimes.

* * *

Oh no... A fight between the bro's and what is Mozz gonna do with Vinnie's bike?  
Puhlease review! :)


	6. Chapter 6

Thanks for the review! :)

* * *

 **Chapter six**

"MODO! It HURTS!", Vinnie screamed in anger.  
Modo was removing small pieces of asphalt out of the wounds on Vinnie's arms and legs with tweezers. But Vinnie was very cranky and did not appreciate the effort from Modo at all. But Modo ignored him and continued his work. He was mad too. On Vinnie. Hitting Throttle.. Was he crazy? Where was his respect? Modo knew only a little bit from Vinnie's past. Not that much as Throttle, but enough to understand why their little bro sometimes behaved like he did right now. But still. Hitting Throttle was crossing a line. But he also knew he was would flip too if he lost his bike. That had happened before. He almost had lost it too. Threw Throttle to the wall and Vinnie at the ceiling. They didn't care back then. They understood why he was acting the way he was. So, he tried not to judge his little bro too hard. But that stubborn, egotistical mouse didn't made it very easy for the grey furred giant. He was wiggling in his chair.  
"Vinnie, sit still. Now."  
Vinnie glared at him.  
"What? You gonna hit me too? Bring it on, hothead", Modo growled, his eye glowing red.  
Vinnie gritted his teeth. "I already told you I am sorry, okay? It just happened. Are you done?"  
Modo grabbed the alcohol and poured it over Vinnie's wounds. A growl escaped Vinnie's mouth, but he said nothing. He kinda deserved that.  
"Yes, I am done." Modo stood up and walked away.  
Carbine was watching all this. A fight between the three bro's. Hmmm. That was new. Something they sure couldn't use right now. She looked at Vinnie, who was pacing through the room. She sure wasn't going to talk to him. That would never work. He never listened to her. She decided to look for Throttle. She climbed up to the roof and saw Throttle and Violet sitting together on the edge of the roof. She joined them.  
"How is life here?", she asked. Throttle swung an arm around her and kissed her temple.  
"Just talk a little. How is Vinnie?"  
Carbine looked at him. "That's why I came to find you. Modo is also mad at him, Vinnie is mad too… Well, a fight between you guys is something we really can't use right now. We need to get Vinnie's bike back. That Plutarkian is up to something and we need to work as a team." Throttle nodded.  
"I know, babe. It will be alright. No problem."  
Violet climbed of the edge. "I will talk to Vinnie."  
But when she climbed down, she decided to try something new. The guy was on edge alright. He needed to blow off some steam. And since his bike wasn't here… Well, she knew what the next thing was on the list.  
She marched straight at the white furred mouse and pushed him against the wall. She pressed her lips on his and kissed him with a passion like never before. Vinnie, at first surprised, soon reacted at her. He grabbed her body and growled. He turned around and pushed her against the wall, his hands flying over her body. She dragged him with her to the bathroom and the door slammed behind them.

Gaya was sitting at the couch, staring at the bathroom door. What… the fuck… just happened? She shook her head. This was one crazy day, alright. She looked at Dani who was sitting next to her. They burst out laughing.  
"I think Violet is trying a new approach to calm Vinnie down", Gaya giggled. She stood up.  
"I will talk to Modo. And yes, only talk", she chuckled and walked outside. Modo was sitting on the tribune, staring at the field. Gaya took place next to him.  
"Hey darling. You okay?" Modo nodded.  
"Yeah… It's just, sometimes Vinnie really gets on my nerves."  
Gaya nodded understandably. "I know, right. But you guys need to make things right. We have work to do…"  
Modo stood up. "You're right. I am gonna talk to Vin.." but Gaya interrupted him. "No wait, he…" but Modo didn't listen.  
He walked inside the scoreboard. Gaya quickly followed him, but saw Vinnie and Violet already coming out of the bathroom. Wow. That was fast. Vinnie looked a lot more relaxed now. Modo walked over to him.  
"Listen, Vin…", but Vinnie shook his head.  
"No, I am sorry. I acted like a jerk. It's just… I really don't know how to handle the fact that they have my bike…"  
Modo clapped him on the back. "I know, little bro, I know. But we will get her back."  
Vinnie nodded. "I am going to talk to Throttle." He climbed up to the roof. Carbine saw him coming and left the roof to let them talk in private.  
"Listen, Throttle, I eh… yeah… well…", Vinnie stuttered. Throttle looked at him, but said nothing. He waited patiently.  
"I am sorry, okay? I shouldn't have hit you. I don't know what was wrong with me."  
Throttle sighed. "I know you are really getting anxious without your bike. It's okay. I would feel the same way if it was my bike that was in their hands. But never hit me again. That's really is crossing a line, you know. I am on your side."  
Vinnie nodded. "I know." He stared at his feet. Throttle smiled and punched him on the arm.  
"Let's go down and find a way to get your ride back, bro."

"Okay, we know it's Mozz who took Vinnie's bike. Who else, right? And we know he uses it as bait. He knows we will come and get that bike. So, they are prepared. We need to make sure we are prepared too." Throttle looked at everybody. "We have been in this situation before, but back then we had Charley and sleeping gas. And Vinnie, who was crazy enough to pull off a stunt so we could get Modo's bike back. So, we need to come up with something new."  
Vinnie was pacing around. Sure, he felt a lot calmer now Violet had found a way to release his stress on a little bit different level then hitting his bro. But still… He was furious. He was anxious. He was.. on edge…  
Violet looked at him and then to Throttle. "We need to approach this on a whole other level then you usually would do. So, that means; no heroic entrance, no bombs etc." Vinnie stared at her, but continued pacing quickly after that. He didn't care how they were gonna pull it off. As long as he gets his precious bike back, he was fine with everything. And as long as he didn't had his own bike, the heroic entrance would be not so heroic alright.  
Everybody was deep in thoughts. Vinnie was already losing his patience again.  
"This is taking too much time. We need to go." Throttle raised his hand.  
"Now, look Vincent…" but Vinnie swirled around and looked at Throttle.  
"What, Throttle? Even if we are prepared, we still don't know what to expect. Come on, we are the Biker Mice. We can handle it. You are getting soft, you know? Always talking about a plan, to be prepared... This is WAR! Sometimes things can't be prepared. Improvise, remember?"  
Throttle stared at him. Dammit. That white furred loudmouth was right. He was getting soft. Well, maybe not soft. But careful. To avoid he was gonna lose somebody, like Carbine. But sometimes you needed to act in the heat of the moment. And he was kinda losing that touch. Sure, it was good to think things through. But maybe he was exaggerating a bit. And now he needed to say to Vinnie he was right. Well, another lesson in humility.  
"Eh, yeah. Maybe you got a point…", he said. Everyone braced himself for the bragging from Vinnie, but it was not that bad this time.  
"I know. Let's go, okay?" and he jumped at Violet's bike.  
"Hey, mister, that is my bike!", she yelled while running over to him.  
"I know sweetheart, I was the one who gave it to you, remember? But no way I'm gonna sit behind you and do nothing. Hop on." Violet sighed, but did as he said.  
"I will stay here with Dani. To keep her safe, okay?", Gaya said. Modo quickly kissed her and jumped on his bike.  
"Alright, you mamma jammers, let's rock… and ride!"

Luckily, Vinnie's tracker was still on. Another sign this was a trap. Vinnie was pushing Violet's bike to the limits. His own bike was way faster. And heavier. And cooler. He really needed her back. Riding on another bike felt weird, fucked up annoying and it was so not cool to ride on a light blue bike named Lady Bug. Violet was hoping her bike was gonna survive this wild ride. When they found the building where Vinnie's bike was according the tracker, a army of goons was waiting for them. No surprise there.  
"Split, bro's!", Throttle ordered. Modo took the right and shot at the goons with his arm cannon. Suddenly, he almost got hit by another laser. He looked up.  
"Sniper on the roof!", he yelled and he fired his jets. He flew up and when he landed, he immediately kicked the sniper of the roof.  
"At twelve o'clock. Two o'clock. Four o'clock…" He looked down and saw the goon land hard on the ground.  
"Six o'clock", he smiled and jumped down to continue the fight.  
Throttle and Carbine both drove to the left and Throttle smiled at her. They both fired their jets and turned their bikes around in the sky. When they landed, they both opened fire on the goons who were following them and the buggy's exploded. Carbine and Throttle high fived.  
Vinnie drove next to a buggy. "Hold the wheel, doll", he said at Violet and jumped off the bike in the buggy. The poor man who was driving it didn't even know what was happening. Vinnie grabbed a grenade and threw it in the buggy. He quickly jumped out, right back on the bike.  
"Have a blast!", he said, waving at the goon. He sped away. The goon waved dazed back and with a loud bang, the grenade exploded. Normally Vinnie would whoop, say more stupid one liners or whatever, but now he didn't had the time. He drove back to the building, shooting at the goons. He fired the jets from Lady Bug and drove up the building, while destroying the lasers that were coming out of the wall. The rest quickly followed him.

Vinnie was the first to fly through the window. He stopped Violet's bike with shrieking brakes and looked around him. Great! They immediately had found the right room. He saw his bike, chained up. Mozz was standing beside it, together with that hideous doctor, Megan. Vinnie stepped off Violet's bike.  
"Let my bike go, NOW!", he growled. Mozz smiled.  
"Since you ask it so polite…" He pushed on a button and the chains fell open on the ground. Vinnie was looking suspicious and a little bit surprised at Mozz. This was way too easy. The rest exchanged looks. What was the plan from that stinkfish? But they soon got an answer. Vinnie's bike revved her engine and her headlight turned on. But instead of the normal glow, it now was red. Her cannons popped out and she drove straight at Vinnie. The white furred mouse scrambled back, hands before his body.  
"Sweetheart, it's me! Come on!" but the bike didn't stop. She shot at Vinnie, who jumped out the way just in time. He looked in shock at Throttle.  
"He turned my own bike against me! That slimy… AUTSJ!", he yelped. His bike had shot a laser and had hit the tip of his tail. Mozz was laughing.  
"Have fun, Biker Mice From Mars. Enjoy the party. Since it will be your last!" and he disappeared again, together with Megan.  
"Dammit, he split again!", Throttle cursed. Vinnie threw a desk on the side and hid behind it.  
"Okay, okay, we need a plan. I give up! I can't shoot at my own bike, now can I?", he yelled at Throttle. Throttle was about to answer, but Vinnie's bike had turned her attention on him and he quickly drove away. Vinnie's bike followed him, shooting her laser. Vinnie's head popped up from behind the dask. His bike drove past him and Vinnie jumped at her seat.  
"Easy now, Sweetheart. It's me!", and he tried to take over control. But the bike had other plans. She drove to the broken window and stopped suddenly. Vinnie flew straight out the window.  
"YYYAAOOWWW"  
"VINNIE!", Violet yelled. She wanted to go after him, but Vinnie's bike shot at her and she needed to drive the other way to avoid the laser.  
Modo fired his jets. "Come on, little hoss. Vinnie needs our help!" He flew over Vinnie's bike out of the window and shot a rope.  
"Vinnie! Catch!" Vinnie looked up, made a somersault and grabbed the rope. Modo pushed a button and the his bike pulled back the rope. Modo grabbed Vinnie and the white furred mouse climbed behind him.  
"Nice save, bro", he breathed. They landed on the ground and looked up. They saw Carbine, Violet and Throttle fly out of the window, followed by Vinnie's bike.  
"Oh momma", Modo sighed. He revved his bike and when the rest of the group landed, they sped away. Sweetheart kept shooting at them.  
"We are not running, right?", Vinnie asked at Throttle.  
"Just taking the firefight to a little bit safer location, Vinnie my man. Let's go to the wild life reserve and there, we are gonna catch that bike of yours", he answered, while zigzagging to avoid the lasers.  
Vinnie looked behind him. "Man, this sucks. What did that stupid doctor do to you?"

Meanwhile, a trucker was driving on the highway. Suddenly, he saw four bikes drive past him with dangerous speed. He shook his head.  
"Those damn bikers. Always driving to fast and who can clean up the mess when they crash? Those poor firefighters…" He honked at them, but they ignored him. He was about to honk again, when he saw another bike, but this time without a driver. The bike was following the other four bikes, shooting with laser at them. His mouth fell open. Well, that was something you didn't saw everyday… He stared at the bike till it was out of sight. He shook his head.  
"My wife is never gonna believe me…"

After a wild ride, the mice arrived at the reserve.  
"Split up, and try to surround her. After that, shoot your ropes to catch her. NOW!", Throttle ordered.  
"And please, be gentle with her!", Vinnie quickly added, scared his precious bike was gonna get damaged. They all flew into another direction, quickly turned around and shot ropes. Modo's rope with hook grabbed the front tire from the bike, Throttle's the rear. The bike tried to get loose.  
"Hold her!", Throttle yelled. Violet also shot a rope and it wrapped around the middle.  
"We need to secure the ropes in the ground!", Violet screamed.  
"On it!" Vinnie jumped of Modo's bike and grabbed a couple of knives out his pocket. He slammed them in the ground and attached the ropes at them. His precious bike was fighting to escape, but the ropes held her.  
"Okay, now what?", Vinnie asked, with despair on his face.  
Modo stepped of his bike. "We need to shut her down."  
Vinnie stared at him. "Shut her down? What do you mean, shut her down?"  
Modo sighed. "We need to make sure she can't harm us. So we have no other choice then to shut her down."  
Vinnie shook his head. "Uh uh, no way! That's the same as killing her."  
Throttle rubbed his chin. "I don't think we have another option, Vinnie."  
Vinnie walked closer to him. "If this was your bike, would you choose to shut her down?"  
Throttle stayed silent. "That's what I thought", Vinnie said angry.  
Violet didn't had a clue where they were talking about. "Okay, time out boys. What is the whole meaning of this?", she asked.  
Modo looked at her. "All the bikes have a button to shut them down. But that means, really shut them down. There is a risk that the AI chip deletes all the data."  
Violet looked thoughtful. "And that means?"  
"That means my bike is gonna forget everything, including me!", Vinnie said darkly.  
Violet shook her head. "We can't do that, guys. We have big problems if Vinnie is gonna lose his bike."  
Throttle nodded. "I know. But she don't let us come close to her. So I think we don't have a choice."  
"It's a rare thing that the AI deletes everything. So there is actually a chance that nothing is gonna happen", Modo added.  
But Vinnie was still not convinced. "Yeah, so? There is also a big change she will delete everything. And then what? You can't take away my bike, bro! I am nothing without her…" He looked pleading at Modo. Modo looked at Throttle. Throttle looked at Vinnie.  
"We will find a way to get her back to work, okay? Right now, your bike is a danger to all of us and to the people of Chicago. It's not safe to…", but Vinnie interrupted him.  
"BRO! Please, just listen to yourself. You can't do this! Didn't you hear me? I am nothing without my bike! She the only thing I have left from my father..." he quickly shut his mouth. He so didn't want to say that. That was a part of him that only he and he alone needed to know. Yeah, well, and Throttle. Violet narrowed her eyes. She never heard that one before. But she said nothing. Now was not the time. Throttle stared at Vinnie. Dammit. Being a leader was so frustrating sometimes. He had so many things to think of. Himself, his bro's, the girls, Chicago… His silence made Vinnie's panic even bigger. And when Vinnie was feeling panic, there was anger. His eyes were fuming and his tail was lashing through the air.  
"THROTTLE! Dammit, say something!", he growled.  
Throttle raised his hands. "Calm down, Vinnie. I am thinking if there is another way. Chill bro."  
Vinnie took a deep breath. He looked at his bike and slowly walked over to her.  
"Sweetheart, please… It's me. Don't you remember me? We are such a great, badass team together. All the races we won? All the cool stunts we always do? We're the best!" His bike fired a laser at him. Vinnie jumped out of the way and let out a stream of curse words in Martian.  
"I wish Charley was here… She would have known what to do…"  
Suddenly, a biker approached in the distant. All the mice looked up and grabbed their gun. The biker stopped next to them and pulled of his helmet.  
"JACK!", Throttle said surprised.  
Modo laughed. "McCyber, my man!", and they slammed their fists against each other.  
Vinnie rolled his eyes. "Welly well well, if it isn't our mister Valentine himself. What are you doing here?", he asked, still hating the guy even Charley wasn't around anymore.  
Jack smiled. "I heard you mice were back in town. So, I decided to come and see you!"  
"Looks like our reputation is preceding us. How did you know we were here?", Throttle asked.  
"I got a call from a friend of mine, he is a truck driver. Told me a crazy story about four bikers and a bike without rider who was shooting laser. I immediately knew it was you. Don't worry, I said he probably was just tired from the long drive. But he told me where you guys were headed, so here I am."  
He saw Violet and Carbine. "Ah, I can't remember ever meeting you before. The name is Jack", he said while offering his hand to Violet.  
Violet could see Vinnie gritting his teeth. "My name is Violet. I am Vinnie's wife."  
Jack tried to hide his surprise. "Nice to meet you. And you are?", he asked at Carbine.  
"Carbine. Throttle's wife." Jack nodded and he looked at Vinnie's bike.  
"Having problems with your ride?", he asked. Vinnie grumbled something.  
"Think you can help us?", Modo asked. "That slimy stinkface turned the bike against us. We were thinking of shutting it down, but that is very drastic. Maybe you know another way?"  
Jack shrugged. "I can try." He walked to the bike and tried to come close enough to look at it, but the bike revved her engine and shot with her laser. Jack jumped out of the way.  
"Hmmm.." He walked around her and approached her from behind. The bike tried to turn around, but the ropes held her on her place. Jack rubbed his chin and walked to his own bike. He drove her close enough Vinnie's bike and grabbed a cable. He quickly put it in Vinnie's bike and the other end in his own bike.  
"Let's see what they did to you... " he said, while looking at the screen on his bike.  
"Hmmm.. Looks like some kind of computer virus.."  
"Great. Just great…", Vinnie muttered under his breath. "Can you fix it?"  
Jack nodded. "Yep. Luckily for you, I can. But I need my other computer."  
"We can't take the bike with us, it's too dangerous", Throttle said.  
"You guys go get that computer. I'll stay here", Vinnie said.  
"Allright. We will be back in an hour or so", Jack said, looking at his watch.  
"I'll stay here with Vinnie", Violet said.  
The rest drove away and Violet and Vinnie sat down on the ground, on safe distance from Vinnie's bike.  
"You okay, cutie?", Violet asked, while rubbing Vinnie's back. Vinnie sighed.  
"Yeah, I'm fine. A little on edge, but fine." He avoided to look at her. He just knew she was gonna ask him about his father. And OH! There it was.  
"What was it what you said about your father?"  
Vinnie stared at his fingers. "Well, I… eh… My bike… My father build my bike for me. So, that's the story."  
Violet narrowed her eyes. "Okay. You never told me about your parents."  
Vinnie's face darkened. "There is a good reason for that, trust me sweetheart. I don't want to talk about them. Never."  
Violet looked at him. His ears and tail were twitching. He was actually nervous. But why?  
"You still didn't learn that talking about your emotions is better than to hold it back? Do I really need to explain all that again?"  
"No you don't. But talking about them is not gonna make me feel better. So, this subject is off limits. Forever. Okay?", Vinnie growled.  
Violet sighed. "Fine. I'm just your wife. Why would you tell me anything about your life before we met?", she said sarcastic.  
Vinnie rolled his eyes. "Gosh, sweetheart. You really can be a pain in the ass sometimes, you know that right?"  
Violet smiled. "I know."  
Vinnie sighed. "I will tell you someday, okay? Not now. I'm having a really shitty day today. Enough is enough. Okay?"  
Violet patted on his arm. "Fine. Sooooo, what to do then?" and she wiggled her eyebrows.  
Vinnie shook his head, laughing. Was this girl on fire, or what?

* * *

Please review. :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter seven**

After an hour, the group came back. Vinnie and Violet were sitting on the same spot, talking about small things. Vinnie jumped at his feet when he heard the bikes. "FINALLY!" He helped Violet up and looked at Jack, who was stepping off his bike with a suitcase in his hands.  
"Got the computer." He grabbed the cable that was still hooked up with Vinnie's bike and put the other side in his computer.  
"Well, let me see…" There was a long silence while Jack was busy typing on his computer. Vinnie was pacing impatiently.  
"And?", he asked, not standing the silence anymore. Jack held up his hand and was looking at his screen.  
"By the looks of things, it's gonna be a little bit more difficult to fix your ride. That doctor did a good job."  
Vinnie walked over to Jack. "What do you mean, a little bit more difficult? What are you saying?", he demanded.  
Throttle lay a hand on his shoulder. "Chill, Vinnie. He is trying to help you."  
Jack sighed. "The virus has crawled in the motherboard from the AI chip in your bike. I can't delete it. It's stuck. Probably a trick from that doctor."  
Vinnie could only stare at him. "Okay… so?"  
Jack looked at him. "That means, the only one who can fix this, is the one who put the virus in the bike in the first place."  
Vinnie still stared at Jack. He shook his head and turned his gaze on Throttle.  
"So, I assume we are gonna pay them a visit then?", he asked while cracking his knuckles. He felt like shit. This day was getting worse by the minute. He just wanted his bike back. Was that so much to ask?  
Throttle was deep in thoughts. "And shutting it down?", he asked at Jack.  
Jack shrugged. "It's worth a try. But no promises."  
Vinnie sighed. He suddenly felt all his energy and fight spirit leaving his body. What was the point? Like that doctor was gonna cure his bike. Yeah, maybe she would. After demanding them to surrender. Or to leave the planet or whatever. It was useless. This whole war was useless. Pointless. Who was he kidding? There was nothing left to fight for here. He was suddenly done with everything. The pain. Mainly the pain. Those stupid stink fishes always found something to destroy that would hurt one of them. In his case; his family, his home, his planet… and now his bike. The only thing he had left from his father.  
The man, or well mouse, who had teached him everything about bikes. Who had built this bike from him. When Vinnie was young, it soon turned out he liked speed and adrenaline rushes. Apparently, he had that from his father. So he built the bike perfectly fitting to Vinnie's needs and wishes. And by the looks of things, he now was gonna lose her.  
Dammit. He felt empty. Alone. Lost.

"Shut her down", he said toneless. Everybody looked at him.  
"You sure, bro?", Modo asked with a worried face.  
Vinnie nodded. "Yeah. Whatever." Violet didn't liked it at all how he was acting. What did just happened?  
"Vinnie…" but Vinnie shook his head. "Just do it." And he walked away.  
Jack looked at Throttle. "Are we gonna do this?", he asked. Throttle glanced in the direction of Vinnie and then nodded.  
"Yeah, let's give it a try."  
Jack pushed a button on his screen and the bike fell silent. The headlight flickered and then went out. With a last prickle of the engine, she fell on her side. Violet swallowed away her tears. It felt like the bike was dying. She gave herself a mental shake. Don't be ridiculous. It's a bike. But still…  
Jack was busy typing. "I think if I give her a restart, the virus is still gonne be there. So, maybe it's for the best to leave her like this till there is another solution? To avoid being shot?"  
Throttle nodded. "Yeah…" Carbine saw the lost expression on his face and decided to take over the leading roll for now.  
"Okay, so by the looks of things, we need to visit Mozz and Megan again. But they are never gonna tell us how to fix the bike… So, we need a plan."  
Modo started his bike and shot another rope at Vinnie's bike, so he could take it with him. "I say, let's go back to the scoreboard and think of one."  
Carbine nodded. "Okay. Let's go then. Jack, thanks for the help."  
Jack saluted. "Any time. If you need me, just call me, okay?" and he gave her a card with his number. The rest said their goodbye and drove away. Violet took the lead and stopped next to Vinnie, who was sitting on the ground at the entrance of the reserve. She signed to the rest to go and stepped of her bike. She took Vinnie in her arms. Vinnie just rested his head in her neck, but said nothing. Violet stroked his back.  
"You coming, cutie?" Vinnie sighed and climbed on his feet. Violet took place on her bike and Vinnie sat down behind her. They drove back to the scoreboard.

When they walked in, everybody was already inside. Modo had parked Vinnie's bike on the standard, so she wasn't lying on the ground. He had the feeling that would be less confronting for Vinnie. Vinnie looked at his bike and dropped on the couch.  
"Okay, what's the plan, fearless leader?", he asked, still with that toneless voice.  
Throttle looked at him. "Vin…" but Vinnie shook his head.  
"Don't start, okay? Just tell me you have a plan."  
"Not yet… we just got here, Vinnie."  
"You know, we can go there and ask if they are gonna fix Vinnie's bike. But maybe it's better if we bring the doctor here…", Carbine said rubbing her chin.  
Throttle looked at her. "You mean kidnap her?"  
"Yeah… And we need to find out what her weak spot is… So we can blackmail her."  
Violet nodded. "Great idea! But how in the world are we gonna find out what her weak spot is?"  
Carbine smiled. "I am gonna make a call to Coelum. I'm sure Jake can find something about her." She walked to the roof so she could make the call without getting disturbed.  
Violet looked at Vinnie, in the hope that he would feel a little bit better now they were having an idea to get his bike back to work. But he was hanging on the couch and stared at the walls, like his spirit had left his body. This was ridiculous. It was just a bike, right? But she knew the bikes meant a lot more to the guys then to the girls. It was a guy thing, probably. And maybe there was more to it. She didn't know. Throttle was also looking at Vinnie, but said nothing. It was Modo who smacked Vinnie against the back of his head. Vinnie jumped at his feet.  
"Hey man, what gives?", he said outraged.  
"You need to tell us what is on your mind. You are acting like you are having a comedown from a sugar rush. But since you didn't had a sugar rush… What is your problem?"  
Vinnie snorted. "Isn't that obvious?", and he pointed at his bike.  
Modo shook his head. "There is more to it."  
"Maybe there is, but that's none of your business right now."  
Modo pointed at him. "Well, it is, since you…" but Carbine came down and interrupted him.  
Vinnie felt relieved. Saved by the bell… well… Carbine.  
"I've talked to Jake and it appears our doctor has a eight year old son."  
Everybody stared at her. "So we are gonna endanger kids now?", Modo asked with disbelief.  
Carbine stared at him. "What? Are you crazy?! Do you really think that I would even suggest that? I had expected better from you, Modo. We need him, but we are gonna handle him correctly. We are not gonna harm him in any way."  
Modo blushed. Throttle chuckled.  
"We are gonna patrol by her house and when she is gone, we take the kid. We leave her a video message to tell her we got her kid and with instructions where to meet us", Carbine said.  
Dani was listening to all this with disbelief.  
"You are really gonna kidnap a eight year old kid? How is that better than what Mozz is doing? Sounds like his way of work, not yours."  
Modo was nodding. "Yeah, I'm with Dani ma'am. This is wrong on every level."  
Carbine sighed. "Yeah, well, does anybody have a better idea?"  
Silence.  
"I thought so. Vinnie, you are awfully quiet. What's on your mind?"  
Vinnie just shook his head. "You know what is wrong on every level? That this woman has a kid. How in the world is it possible that there apparently is a guy on this planet who slept with that ugly monster? I can't stop thinking about it. It's disgusting. Disturbing. Nightmare material... ", he trailed off when he saw that everybody was staring at him.  
"But ehm, yeah, sounds like a plan…", he said sheepishly and grew silent again. Violet was worried about him. But there was nothing she could do right now. They needed to get his bike back to work. That would help. After that, she was gonna talk to him.  
"Well, I think we got ourselves a plan. I will take the first patrol with Carbine. Tomorrow, Violet and Modo. Gaya, you keep an eye on Dani. She is under your protection now", Throttle ordered.  
"And what am I supposed to do? Sit here and fade away?", Vinnie asked sarcastically.  
Throttle sighed. "Fine. Tomorrow's patrol. You instead of Violet. If she is okay with that. And okay with the fact that you are gonna need to use her bike."  
Vinnie looked at her with pleading eyes.  
"Fine…", she sighed. "I will assist Gaya in keeping Dani safe. You guys can do the rest."  
Carbine stood up. "Throttle, let's go. Jake has told me where the doctor lives, so let's set this plan in motion."

When they were on the road, Carbine looked at Throttle.  
"Are you okay, handsome?", she asked.  
Throttle shrugged. "I'm worried about Vinnie. I'm worried about Mozz. I'm worried about this ongoing war. Same old, same old."  
Carbine nodded. "Yeah… But you know, this is something we are good at. I know it's frustrating, heavy and it's causing a lot of pain, but we are doing something good. Not many people can say that."  
"I know. I know you are right. And I know this is what we do. And most of the time, I don't even care. How weird it may be, I like to fight. To fight for what's ours. But sometimes it's not easy. Especially when I see how it's infecting some of us."  
"Why are you always so worried about Vinnie?", Carbine wondered. Throttle sighed.  
"He is my bro, Carbine. Just like Modo. When somethings wrong with him, I am worried too. But Vinnie… Well, he is the youngest to start with. And he needs someone to keep an eye on him. He…", he trailed off. Carbine waited patiently.  
"You know he came into my house when he was 16, right? He lost both of his parents because of the Plutarkians. He had nobody left. And he was a mess. My parents were friends with his parents, so we kinda grew up together. So, they immediately took him in. I feel responsible for him. He is my little bro, you know?"  
Carbine nodded. "I know and I understand. But he is what, 26 now? Isn't it time that you are gonna let him go? To give him space to make mistakes and learn from them to grow up?", but Throttle shook his head.  
"No. He is not that kinda guy and you know that. You are doing the same thing. When did you gave him a free ticket to do whatever he wants? Look, I can't explain it right now. What I can say now is that he needs someone to keep an eye on him. He is not stable. Never been. I will explain it to you, later. Now, I need to focus on the mission. It isn't a pretty story, okay?"  
Carbine focussed on her attention on the road again. She knew he was right.

After driving for a while they stopped by Megan's house. By the looks of things, all the houses in this neighbourhood were deserted. Most of them were ruined too. But Megan's house looked in good shape.  
"She probably lives here for free. It wouldn't surprise me if Mozz is all arranging this", Throttle said, while looking at the house.  
"The rest of the neighbourhood is destroyed by Limburger."  
Carbine looked at the other side of the street. There was a small house standing without a roof. But the bottom floor was still intact and it had a window with a good view on Megan's house.  
"Let's use that house, we can park the bikes inside and watch at her house without anybody is gonna notice it", she said.  
They drove inside and stepped of their bikes. Throttle pushed on a button on his helmet and zoomed in on Megan's house.  
"By the looks of things, there is nobody home."  
They both grabbed a chair and sat down. The waiting had begun.

After one hour something happened. A minivan stopped in front of the house and a young woman jumped out. She opened the door and grabbed a kid with blond hair. She also grabbed a bag with groceries and walked inside Megan's house.  
"That must be the babysitter. This is our chance." Carbine stood up and climbed on her bike.  
"We can tie her up and grab the kid." Throttle followed her example, but hesitated.  
"Is this really the right thing to do, Carbine?"  
Carbine sighed. "Look, I know it's feels wrong. And maybe it is wrong. But hard times ask for drastic measures. We need to get Vinnie's bike back to work if we want to defeat Mozz. We need all the firepower we have. And Vinnie is gonna feel a lot better when his bike is back to work. You know that rule number one is that if you want to get something from someone, you need to use their weak spot. I must admit, I hate the fact that her weak spot is a kid. But we are not gonna hurt him."  
Throttle took a deep breath. "Fine. Fine. Let's go."  
They drove across the street and jumped off their rides. Throttle kicked the door in and they ran to the living room. The young woman jumped on her feet, looking scared and shocked by this sudden visit. Carbine pointed her gun at her.  
"Sit down", she ordered. The young woman looked desperately at her, but did what she said. Carbine grabbed a rope and tied the woman at the chair.  
"Please, don't hurt me", she cried.  
"Don't hurt her", a small voice sounded behind them. They turned around and saw the boy standing in the door opening.  
"Mozart, baby, run!", the woman yelled but the boy didn't move. He looked with big eyes to Throttle. Throttle slowly walked over to him and kneeled before him.  
"Hey Mozart. My name is Throttle. We are not gonna hurt you. But you need to help us. Do you want to help us?"  
Mozart stared at him, his lower lip vibrated. But Throttle also saw curiosity in his eyes.  
"It's okay, little man. We are gonna take a little ride and later on, your mom is gonna pick you up. Okay?" and he stood up and offered his hand. Mozart hesitated but took his hand. They walked outside.  
Carbine waited till they were out of hearing sight and looked at the young woman.  
"Look, I am sorry about this, okay? I really am. But we need something from his mother. Tell her that the Biker Mice took her boy and that she need to call this number", she lay a card with the number from the scoreboard on the table.  
"Make very clear to her that if she doesn't listen to us or if she calls the police, her boss of anybody else, her boy is dead. The only call she is gonna make is to us. You got that?"  
The woman looked at her, tears streaming over her face.  
"Please, don't hurt him, he…" but Carbine slapped her in the face. "I asked you something. You got that?"  
The woman nodded. "Yeah, Biker Mice, call that number, nobody else, otherwise Mozart is dead. Yeah, got it…"  
"Good." Carbine walked outside. It killed her to treat an innocent woman like this, but she didn't had a choice. This whole thing needed to look and sound like it was all real. That they indeed were gonna kill the boy if Megan didn't cooperate. But she didn't liked it all. She saw that Throttle was showing his bike to Mozart. The little boy looked at it with awe and listened to every word Throttle was saying. Her heart melted. Seeing her man with a kid… It was adorable. She sure hoped she was gonna see him one day with their own kids. She took a deep breath.  
"Ready to go?", she asked. Throttle looked at Mozart. "What do you say, little man. Wanna go for a ride?" Mozart nodded.  
Throttle set him in front of him and held him tightly so he couldn't fall off.  
"Alright, hold on tight. Let's ride!" and they drove to the scoreboard. Mozart was laughing out loud, he had the time of his life. Throttle looked at Carbine and smiled. She smiled back. The kid sure was cute alright.

Meanwhile at the scoreboard, Vinnie was lying listless on the couch. Gaya, Violet and Dani were playing a card game. Modo was busy with his bike. Vinnie was deep in thoughts. Why was he so upset, he wondered. Of course, it really sucked that his bike was out of order. But they were gonna fix that, right? So why was he feeling like this? It just wasn't his thing to be so depressed and seeing things negative. He sighed. He had to be honest with himself.  
It was because of his parents. This whole thing had set things in motion he didn't thought about for a long time. His father. The handsome, well built white furred mouse. He had a lot in common with his father. His looks, his need for adrenaline, his charming personality…  
Unfortunately, he also had things from his mother. The thin, small built blonde furred mouse. He always had tried to remember something good from her. But he couldn't. All he could think of when he thought of his mother, was her bitterly personality. Her anger issues. The abuse… He jerked upright. He didn't want to think about this. He had put this away for a reason. How was he gonna stop his thoughts? He didn't know. But thank the mothers of Mars, he heard Throttle's bike. The girls and Modo heard it too. Well, except for Dani, since her hearing wasn't as sensitive as the mice.  
Throttle and Carbine flew inside. Vinnie was about to say something, but then he saw the small boy on Throttle's bike. Okay… that was fast... Nobody said something. Mozart stared at the mice. They weren't wearing a helmet like Throttle and Carbine, so it was the first time he saw what they really were. Dani quickly walked over to him.  
"Hey you! What is your name?", she asked with her sweetest voice. Mozart looked at her, somehow glad to see someone who looked the same as him.  
"Mo...Mozart", he said hesitantly.  
"That really is a beautiful name! My name is Dani", she said, pointing at herself. She pointed at Violet.  
"That is Violet. And standing next to her is Gaya." The boy followed her finger and looked at the mice. Dani pointed at Vinnie.  
"That is Vinnie and next to him is Modo. They are all very nice people. They look a little bit different, but they are not gonna hurt you." Mozart looked at Modo. The grey furred giant slowly came closer.  
"Hey there, little buddy. Wanna play a card game with us? I know a perfect game that you are gonna like."  
Mozart nodded and Throttle set him on the ground. He walked to Modo and touched his bionic arm.  
"Cool! Does it hurt?", he asked.  
Modo shook his head. "No, it doesn't. Come on." Mozart walked past Vinnie to the table, and stopped to look at Vinnie. He raised his hand to touch him, but Vinnie scrambled back.  
"No, no, no. Keep that thing away from me", he said pleading to Violet. Violet laughed and grabbed Mozart's hand.  
"Come on, we are gonna play that game, alright? Do you want something to drink?" and she gently guided him to the table.  
"That thing?", Throttle asked with raised eyebrows. Vinnie smiled sheepishly. Throttle shook his head.  
"So now what?", Vinnie asked, glancing at the kid. He didn't like kids. They were always so… honest. And grose.  
"Now we'll wait till Megan is gonna call. We needed to improvise, since we suddenly got a chance to take the kid." Throttle quickly explained what had happened.  
Vinnie was impressed. "Way to go, fearless leader. Improvising… Glad you still know how to do that."  
Throttle chuckled. "Did you just gave me a compliment? I'm flattered."  
Vinnie grinned. Suddenly, the phone rang.  
"Wow, that's fast…", Carbine said. Throttle grabbed the phone. "Hello?"  
"Where is my boy?" he heard the crackling voice from Megan on the other side.  
"He is with us. Don't worry, he is unharmed. For now."  
"I want to speak to him. How do I know you're not lying?"  
Throttle walked over to Mozart. "Got your mom on the phone, little man. She wants to talk to you." And he held the phone against his ear.  
"Mom?"  
"Oh my god, sweetie… are you alright?"  
"Yes, Mom. I am playing a card game with very nice people, but they look kinda weird…"  
"I know, honey, I know."  
Throttle held the phone against his own ear again.  
"Meet us at the wildlife reserve in one hour. Come alone. No police, no Mozz. And make sure you have the equipment to fix that bike you've messed with."  
"So this is where all this is about?"  
"Wildlife reserve. One hour. ALONE! Otherwise your boy is dead." And Throttle hung up. He looked at Carbine.  
"Man… Playing the bad guy is a lot harder than it looks like."  
Carbine snickered. "I know, right."

Mozart was looking at Vinnie. He climbed off his seat and walked over to him. Vinnie slowly walked back.  
"Why are you wearing a mask?", Mozart asked. Vinnie looked helplessly around him, but everybody had decided to let him handle this by himself. Vinnie sighed. He looked suspiciously at the boy.  
"Why is your name Mozart?", he asked back.  
Mozart smiled. "I'm named after my dad. Well, sort of", he said proud.  
Vinnie stared at him. "Your dad?"  
"Yes. Mozz Roquefort."


	8. Chapter 8

Thanks for the reviews! :)

* * *

 **Chapter eight**

There was a deadly silence. The mice exchanged looks. How was this possible? The boy didn't looked like an Plutarkian at all. No, only human.  
Vinnie wrinkled his nose. This was disgusting alright. He turned green under his fur. He saw an image before his eyes from Megan with Mozz… he gagged.  
"Ugh. Ah man... " He shook his head to let the image disappear. Mozart was watching him.  
"Are you feeling sick?", he asked at Vinnie, not understanding why the white furred mouse reacted like this. Dani quickly intervened, before Vinnie was gonna say something that was inappropriate for kids ears.  
"He just ate too much hot dogs. Let's continue that card game", and she guided him back to the table.

When they were ready to leave, it was already dark outside. Dani and Gaya stayed behind, just in case.  
"This has been a very long day…", Vinnie sighed when he sat down behind Violet.  
"I know cutie. But things are gonna be okay now soon."  
Vinnie didn't answer. Yes, he would be very happy when his bike was gonna be back in order. But the damage had already been done. His mind had opened a door to memories he didn't want to remember. And there was nothing he could do to stop it.  
They drove to the wildlife reserve and stopped at the same spot where they had captured Vinnie's bike. Modo released the red racing bike from his own bike and looked around. Mozart was sitting in front of Throttle. "Is my mom gonna pick me up here?", he asked, looking around. Throttle nodded. He gently set him on the ground. "Carbine, can you take care of him?", he asked. Carbine gently took Mozart's hand.  
Soon, they heard a engine. A large four by four vehicle stopped next to them and Megan jumped out. When she saw Mozart, she wanted to ran over to him, but Vinnie pointed his gun on her.  
"Uh uh uh, not so fast, you walking dead. First, you gonna fix my bike. NOW!" Megan glared at him.  
Throttle looked meaningful at her. "You better do as he say. Than your boy will be unharmed."  
Megan looked at Mozart. "It's gonna be okay, sweetie." She grabbed her tools and walked over to Vinnie's bike. She started her work. Vinnie was waiting impatiently. Throttle walked over to Megan. "The boy's father is Mozz, so he told us. How?", he asked. Megan froze. She looked up at him.  
"That is none of your business, you stinkin' rat!", she growled, spit coming out of her mouth.  
Modo's eye turned red. "RAT? My momma didn't raise no stinkin' rat. UNDERSTAND?", he said while pointing his arm cannon at her.  
Megan sighed. "Right..." and continued her work. "I must say I am surprised you mice played this game so filthy. Kidnapping a kid…", she said.  
Throttle sighed. "Less talking, more working."  
Megan looked up at him. "You do know if you kill me and Mozz, Mozart is gonna be an orphan, right?", she asked.  
"So? Not our problem. You should have thought about that before you and that stinkfish shared the bed", Vinnie said.  
Megan stared at him. "You really think I had seks with him? Come on!"  
Vinnie stared back. "Well, as far as I know, that is a very important part of the cycle…"  
"Not if your as smart as I am. Mozart is born in the lab. I created him. But I needed sem..."  
Vinnie put his hands over his ears. "Wow, wow, wow! I so don't want to hear all the details!"  
Megan pushed a button on Vinnie's bike. The engine started and the light from her headlight was now her normal color again.  
"There. Happy now?"  
Vinnie whistled and his bike immediately responded. She drove over to Vinnie and beeped happily. Vinnie kneeled next to her and patter her side.  
"So good to have you back, sweetheart!", he said grinning.  
Megan rolled her eyes. "I've did what you asked. Can you now please release my son?"  
Throttle signed to Carbine and Mozart ran over to his mom and jumped in her open arms.  
"I had such a great day, mom! First school and after that, I had so much fun with them!", he chattered happily.  
Megan looked at Throttle. "Thank you, for not hurting him. But you will not get away with this. I can promise you that. Someday, you are gonna pay for this. Mozz will make it his life mission."  
Throttle was about to say something, but didn't got the chance.  
She heard a loud click behind her. Megan sat Mozart at the ground, slowly turned around and saw Vinnie pointing his gun at her head.  
"Bring it on", he growled.  
This was their chance to get rid of her. His finger was on the trigger, but somehow, he couldn't pull it. He looked at Mozart, who was staring at him with big eyes, filled with tears. He looked at Megan again, who was looking at him almost challenging. Vinnie gritted his teeth, but then sighed and lowered his gun. Even he didn't like kids, he was not that mean to kill a mother in front of her son's eyes. Even if his mother was this bad. And ugly, although being ugly wasn't a crime. Well, maybe it was in her case. Megan smiled at him, well, it looked more like she was showing her rotten teeth. The look in her eyes was ice cold. Vinnie glared at her.  
"Get out of my face before I change my mind."  
Megan quickly grabbed Mozart and jumped in the car. Within seconds, she was gone.  
Everybody let out their breaths.  
"Pfew. This is the last time we are gonna pull of a stunt like this", Carbine said. Even it was her idea, it turned out it was way more difficult in real life to play the bad guy. She was just glad the boy had a good time with them. At least he wasn't gonna suffer after this.  
"You can say that, alright", Throttle agreed. Vinnie was hugging his bike and whispering sweet words at her. Violet looked at him and smiled.  
"I must say, I am glad you didn't pull that trigger, Vinnie", she said.  
Vinnie looked at her. "Yeah well, I wanted to. But killing a mother in front of her son… That is nasty, even for my standards."  
Modo nodded. "Yeah, I'm with ya, bro. I really wanted to blow her brains out. But I also couldn't." No surprise there.  
"We will get them. I promise you this, we are not leaving this planet till Mozz and Megan are dead", Throttle said, jumping on his bike. The rest followed his example. They drove back to the scoreboard, Vinnie still awfully quiet. Everybody had expected that he was gonna be back to normal when his bike was fixed. But that just wasn't the case.

When they drove back into the scoreboard, Dani and Gaya jumped of the couch.  
Gaya ran over to Modo and he pulled her in a tight hug.  
"Hey there, little darling", he said lovingly, stroking her back.  
"Hey there, sweetie", she said back.  
"I see the plan worked", Dani said, looking at Vinnie's bike. Vinnie didn't respond. He was staring at the floor. Dani waved her hand before his face. His head jerked up. "Huh? Did you say something?", he asked confused.  
"Yeah, that the plan worked. Obviously."  
"Oh right. Yeah it worked. Glad to have my bike back."  
"You don't look that happy."  
Violet was watching this. Was it just her, or was Dani more interested in Vinnie than the rest? No, that was not possible. Right? Come on, Vi. You are seeing things that aren't there. But still…  
Vinnie sighed. "I'm just tired. That's all."  
Dani shook her head. "You know, I know you for what, three days now? And you are such a bad liar… There's more to it. If you want to talk, let me know, alright?"  
Vinnie looked at her. "Ehm, yeah. Thanks."  
"He already has someone to talk to", Violet snapped.  
Dani shrugged, winked at Vinnie and then looked to the rest of the group.  
"I am gonna go grab some hot dogs. I thought you guys could use a nice meal after everything that happened today. My treat!"  
Everybody cheered and whooped. "You're the best, sweetheart. Exactly what we need after a busy day!", Vinnie said with a smile.  
Dani smiled back at him and she and Gaya left.  
Violet sighed. "Is it just me, or is Dani flirting with you?", she asked loud.  
Vinnie stared at her. "Ehm… I don't know? Can't blame her if she did, though…", and he smiled arrogant, while flexing his muscles. Violet glared at him.  
Throttle was rubbing his chin.  
"Well, maybe she is just most comfortable with Vinnie. Since they talked a lot the other night and maybe because she knows he loved Charley…", he trailed off when he saw the sad look on Violet's face. Vinnie saw it too.  
He stepped off his bike and walked over to Violet. He wrapped his strong arms around her and looked her in the eye.  
"Sweetheart. I don't care if she flirts with me or not. I am with you. You are my world. Please, give me that little trust. I won't leave you. Never. You hear me?"  
Violet swallowed. "Yeah, I hear you. I know. I'm sorry. It's just… It's hard to be here. The place where Charley belonged. To see your pain. To see everybody's pain. And then there is her sister. I saw what it did to you when you saw her for the first time. It's painful for you. To be around someone who looks so much like the woman you loved…"  
Vinnie cupped her head in his hands.  
"Now listen, sweetheart. Yes, it is hard to be here. Yes, I do miss Charley. Yes, it was really fucked up to bump into Dani. And yes, she do looks a lot like Charley. But she isn't Charley. At all. She is just a girl who happened to be related to her. Nothing more. And I already told you. I am ready to move on. With you. I even married you. Moi. Ladykiller number one!"  
Violet giggled. "I love you, you crazy mouse." And she kissed the tip of his nose.  
He smiled. "I love you too, pretty lady." And he pulled her into a tight hug. He looked over Violet's head at Throttle. He needed to talk to Throttle. He didn't know how to handle all this. All the memories that were flooding him. He almost drowned in them. And Throttle was the only one who knew the entire story. But was he ready to open up to his bro? Well, he didn't had a choice. Otherwise, he was gonna lose his mind. Today was the prove of that. The anger he had felt when they took his bike. It's just not normal. And he just didn't knew how to control it.  
"Vinnie? Vinnie?" He shook his head and looked at Violet.  
"Sorry, I was zoomed out. You were saying?"  
"I asked what was going through your head. You are not yourself today…"  
Vinnie didn't want to tell her now. First, he needed to talk to Throttle.  
"It just was a heavy day, okay? I'm tired."  
Violet didn't bought it. "Right. You are lying. But okay, I know I don't need to force you to talk about what is bothering you. You know you can talk to me, right? When you are ready."  
Vinnie kissed her, long and passionate.  
"I know, sweetheart. I know. And I will. But not now. Later, okay?"  
Violet nodded.  
At that moment, Dani and Gaya came back with a huge pile of hotdogs.  
Violet grabbed the rootbeer and they all sat together at the table.  
While they were eating, Dani was telling stories about her and Charley when they were young. Turned out that Charley as a young child already was stubborn and always wanted to do her own thing. Everybody laughed at the stories. When Dani finished a story about her and Charley and pranking the boy next door, she fell silent. "God, I miss her so much…", she said. Tears filled her eyes. Gaya rubbed her arm. Nobody said something. What could they say?  
Dani took a deep breath. "I'm sorry… I just… I really want to go home."  
Throttle shook his head. "No dice. Don't get me wrong, I completely understand. But it's not safe. And no way we are gonna lose another Davidson girl."  
Dani suddenly felt angry. Why was she in this situation? Why was her sister involved in their war? Why were they still alive and her sister not?  
"No, I can imagine losing one Davidson girl already gives enough guilt, right?", she snapped at Throttle. Everybody stared at her.  
"Say what?", Vinnie asked, feeling his anger flaming up again. Easy, Vincent. Easy.  
"You heard me. If it wasn't for you guys, she would still be alive. Why did she lost her life in your war? It doesn't seem fair!"  
Vinnie was about to say something, but Throttle held up his hand.  
"Dani, I understand you are angry. It isn't fair that she died. You're absolutely right about that. But there was nothing we could do. But I have to say, your mood swings are really getting on my nerves."  
"Yeah, well. You guys should have just told her that she needed to back off. I can see now what happens with people who are coming close to you."  
Vinnie jumped at his feet and marched at his bike. He revved the engine and flew out the window. Violet had it.  
"Great. Just great. Do you know how long it took me before he finally believed me it wasn't his fault? He is blaming himself, Dani! Because he indeed let her become close to him. But you know what? It was her choice. She choose to help the guys, to fight in their war. Jezus, here you are, telling stories about how stubborn the girl was. You know your sister, right? She did what she wanted. She CHOOSE for it, GOD DAMMIT!", Violet slammed with her fist on the table. She was furious. That didn't happen that easily. But the nerve of that girl. Vinnie was finally able to move on and here was Dani, ripping open all the wounds that finally were starting to heal. Dani jumped at her feet too.  
"CHOOSE FOR IT? Right! Do you even hear yourself? What do you know about it? Your Vinnie's rebound girl, FOR FUCK SAKE!", she yelled hysterical. But as soon as the words came out of her mouth, she already regret them. She looked at Violet, who was staring at her like she was slapped in the face.  
"His rebound girl?", she whispered but then louder: "HIS REBOUND GIRL?"  
She launched herself at Dani, but Carbine grabbed her. She pulled her away from Dani. Violet was yelling and screaming at Dani, but Carbine dragged her outside. The door shut behind them. Dani slowly sat down, with a defeated look on her face. Everybody stared at her.  
"Oh my god… I can't believe I said that…", she whispered.  
Throttle, Modo and Gaya were looking uncomfortable at each other. They never had seen Violet this mad. But they all knew she was very sensitive when it came to Vinnie. Throttle remembered her panic attack when the Plutarkians had taken Vinnie. Dani jumped up and climbed up to the roof. Throttle looked at Modo.  
"Let's go find Vinnie." Modo nodded and they both walked over to the bikes. Gaya wanted to come with them, but Modo shook his head.  
"Sorry, little darling, but we need to talk to Vinnie. Just the three of us."  
Gaya nodded. "Okay, be careful" and they took off. Gaya looked around her.  
"Well, sure. Leave me behind with the mess", she sighed and started to clear the table.

Outside, Carbine was calming Violet down. But that wasn't easy. Apparently, Violet didn't get this mad easily, but calming her down wasn't that easy either.  
"The NERVE of that girl!", she yelled, pacing over the tribune. Carbine followed her with her eyes.  
"Violet, please calm down. Now."  
Violet took a deep breath, her hands were shaking. She sat down next to Carbine.  
"I'm trying, okay? But it's not that easy."  
"I know. But keep trying. Getting this mad isn't gonna help you."  
"I know, I know."  
"Why are you so mad about this?", Carbine asked curious.  
"Well, isn't that obvious?", Violet snorted. Carbine looked at her.  
"Sorry. It's just… It costed me a lot of energy to help Vinnie heal. And now is that girl exactly saying what hurted him so bad, what made him feel so guilty. I'm scared it's gonna rip open some wounds…"  
Carbine shook her head. "I don't think so. I think he really is ready to move on. But being here, with that girl… Well, the past just keeps hunting him down. And he already was emotional unstable today, with the whole thing with his bike…"  
Violet looked at her, almost pleading.  
"Do you know what is wrong with him?"  
Carbine sighed. "Not my story to tell."  
"That's what Throttle said either. But you do know it?"  
Carbine shook her head. "Not everything. Only that Vinnie's childhood was not easy. I think the bike was just the trigger. To remember, you know?"  
Violet nodded, deep in thoughts. That made sense.  
Carbine patted her on the arm. "Ready to go back inside?", she asked.  
"Yeah…" and they walked back into the scoreboard. Gaya was just finished with the cleaning up the mess.  
"Where are the guys?", Carbine asked when she saw that Modo's and Throttle's bike were gone.  
"They are looking for Vinnie."  
"Ah, okay.. And where is Dani?"  
"On the roof."  
Violet saw Carbine looking at her.  
"Uh uh! No way! I am not gonna talk to her. She can come to me. To apologize. Then we will see what happens."  
Carbine shook her head. This girl was just as stubborn as her husband.

Meanwhile, Throttle and Modo had found Vinnie in Bar Black. He was sitting at the bar, drinking whiskey. They sat down next to him.  
"Little bro, drinking is not gonna solve your problems", Modo said, gently taking the glass out of Vinnie's hand.  
Vinnie sighed. Throttle patted him on the back.  
"Let's go to a place where we can talk. Without somebody who is listening to every word we say", he said, looking meaningful at the barkeeper.  
The guy blushed and quickly turned around.  
"Fine", Vinnie said, standing up.  
They walked to the bikes and drove to a park nearby the scoreboard. They shutted down the engines and pulled of their helmets.  
Vinnie leaned forward on his bike, his head in his hands. Throttle and Modo looked at each other and Modo nodded to Throttle. The tan furred mouse took a deep breath.  
"Vinnie. Can you please tell us what is on your mind?"  
Vinnie didn't know what to say. Dammit. This still wasn't his thing.  
"Come on, Vin. We have been here before. Please, just talk to us."  
"Well, I eh… You know… It's… Ugh", he stuttered. Modo watched his younger bro struggling. He decided to help him a little bit.  
"Is this about Charley?", he asked  
Vinnie shrugged.  
"Yes or no, Vincent?"  
"Well, not really."  
"Not really? What do you mean with that?"  
Vinnie made a frustrating noise.  
"I didn't like hearing Dani saying all that stuff. But I meant what I said. I am ready to move on. Of course I still miss her… But… Well, I'm done with the guilt. Violet helped me to put some things in perspective."  
Modo was impressed. This was the first time he heard Vinnie saying so many words about how he felt. Throttle felt the same way. He took the word over from Modo.  
"Well, then what is it that is eating you up today?"  
Vinnie stared at his bike.  
Throttle decided to drop the bomb.  
"Is this about your parents?"  
Vinnie breathed in sharply. He suddenly couldn't stop himself anymore.  
"Yeah, it is. From the moment I thought I was gonna lose my bike, some door in my brain opened up with a lot of memories I never wanted to think about again. I'm drowning in them. I don't know how to deal with this. I feel like shit."  
He looked at Throttle.  
"The one thing I promised to myself was that I didn't want to be like her. That I would never be that kinda person. And today… I lost it, man. I totally lost it. And it made me realize… I look a lot more on her than I thought. And it's killing me."  
"You are nothing like her, Vinnie", Throttle said, feeling very sorry for his bro. But Vinnie shook his head.  
"No, that's not true. Since Charley died, I feel so angry all the time. And I don't want to be that kinda guy, who is bittered to the bone and is angry all the time…"  
"Have you talked with Violet about this?", Modo asked.  
Vinnie shook his head. "No, told her now was not the time. I wanted to talk to you guys first. You know the story. Well, Throttle knows it. Not sure about you, Modo."  
"I don't know that much. Only that your mother wasn't a very loving person and that you lived with Throttle after they died."  
Vinnie looked helplessly at Throttle. There was still so much Modo didn't knew. Throttle cleared his throat.  
"Listen, Vin. I understand your worries. But you are nothing like your mother. I knew her. She was a bad person. You are not. You have good intentions. You have a good heart. But I don't know how to get through to you. To make you believe it for yourself."  
Vinnie shook his head. This was getting nowhere. Why did he opened up anyway? Ugh. He started his bike.  
"Let's go back to the scoreboard, okay?" but Modo stopped him.  
"No. I wanna say something first. I know you now for a long time. And it kills me to hear you are doubting yourself. You are a great person. Caring. Loving. Protective. And a hothead, true. But that's who you are! The problem is that you always put all your problems away. You never talk about it. But I can tell you one thing, like my old grey furred momma used to say; it's always coming back. Twice as hard. You need to learn to open up. Talk about what is bothering you."  
Vinnie stared at him. He was right. Of course he was. Everybody just kept telling him to open up. But they didn't told him how.  
"But I just don't know how! I don't know how to deal with all this stupid emotions. They are dragging me to a place in my head where I don't want to be. So, yeah. I run. Hard. How do you guys do it? You both lost your family too. How do you deal with it?"  
Modo suddenly had a sad expression on his face.  
"I talk to Gaya a lot. She helps me with the grieve. But it will never go away. I still miss my dear old grey furred momma every day…"  
Throttle nodded. "Yeah, I talk to Carbine about it. I also miss my parents. But like Modo said. It will never go away. But we both had a loving family. And we don't have unprocessed trauma's like you do. You didn't had a very good role model how to deal with your emotions. So, i guess it's different from our story. Talk to Violet. Tell her your story. I think that's gonna help you. She has saved you before. She can do it again. But don't give up, Vincent. You hear me? Never give up!"  
Vinnie stared at his bike.  
"But… I… I'm ashamed to tell her all that shit… I just want to make it disappear, you know? Lock it away and never talk about it again!"  
He felt his anger growing again. Dammit. He felt weak. A loser. Not cool. He looked at himself in the mirror from his bike. A very tired, sad face stared back. He saw a glimpse from his mother. He sighed and turned the mirror around.  
"You don't have to be ashamed. The things that happened to you were not your fault. And let me tell you something: even if talk about your feelings and emotions, you are still the baddest mamma jammer from Mars, Vinnie my man. Trust me."  
Vinnie gave Throttle a little smile. "I know right. I'm still the best. Better than the best."

But on the inside it didn't felt like it at all. It felt like he didn't even knew who he was anymore.  
He had lost himself somewhere on the road they called life.

* * *

Please review! :)


	9. Chapter 9

You guys, I just found a awesome cover of the intro of BMFM. You can look it up on Spotify.  
Name band: Hufterbuks. Song: Biker Mice From Mars.  
Let me know what you think! :)

Alright, on with the story.

* * *

 **Chapter nine**

Meanwhile, Dani was calm again and felt really guilty. Why did she say all those things? Rebound girl? Wauw Dani, yeah. Way to go. She needed to talk to Violet. Apologize. She climbed down the stairs again and walked over to Violet.  
"Can we talk? Please?"  
Violet looked at her. She was also calm again, but still..  
"Okay", she sighed and they both climbed up to the roof again.  
"Listen Violet, I am so sorry. I don't know why I've said all those things to you."  
Violet looked her in the eye.  
"You know, I must say that I really do want to know why you've said those things. There must be a reason, right? Something is bothering you. So, let's get everything on the table. Let me start with a question. Do you have some sort of feelings for Vinnie?"  
Dani stared at her and lowered her eyes. She was actually blushing? Violet rolled her eyes.  
"I eh… I don't… Well… I don't know actually… I don't think it's love. But more some kind of… lust? Come on, the guy breathes sex. Sorry to put it that way…"  
"I appreciate your honesty. But I don't need to tell you he is not available, right? You know that perfectly well. I don't want to be that possesive girl who is constantly keeping you on a distance because he is my man. I trust him. So now the question is; can I trust you?"  
"Yes. Yes, you can trust me."  
Violet nodded. "Good. So tell me, what is on your mind?"  
Dani stared at the city. "If I think rationally, I know the mice are not responsible for the death of my sister. But somewhere deep down, in a dark place in my brains, I keep thinking; if she wouldn't have met them, she would be still alive. Somewhere, and that's emotionally, I keep blaming them."  
"I do think it's part of the grieve. Anger. Denial. Searching for someone to blame. And maybe, if you think about it that way, they're maybe one of the causes that leaded to her death. But like I said earlier. Charley could have said that they needed to piss off and leave her alone. But she didn't. She choose to help them, right? To upgrade their bikes. To find them a place to live. To help them on their missions. From the stories I've heard from Vinnie, they always tried to keep her AWAY from the danger. But she just didn't listen. She was stubborn. And if you want someone to blame for her death, pick Limburger. Or even better, Karbunkle. Because he was the one who fired that rocket. Commissioned by Limburger. Unfortunately, they are already dead, so you can't kill them. But they have paid the price."  
Dani's eyes filled with tears. "But Vinnie did blame himself, right? And Modo? And Throttle?"  
"Of course they did. But it wasn't their fault. You really think that they just let her die? No. If there was a way to save her, they would have done it. And I do understand you are devastated by the loss of your sister. But don't you ever, EVER give Vinnie the thought again that he was responsible in some way. It will destroy him. And I am not gonna allow that. I will not let it happen."  
Dani lowered her head. "I'm sorry. I really am. And I'm sorry I called you his rebound girl. I know you are more than that. But it just slipped out."  
Violet punched her softly on the arm. "It's okay. I know I am way more than that."  
They both sat in silence for a minute. Suddenly, they heard the sound of engines and saw that the guys drove up to the scoreboard.  
Violet sighed. "I need to go check on Vinnie."

When she came down, they just pulled off their helmets. She looked at Throttle, who gave her a encouraging smile. Then she looked at Modo, who nodded at her with a friendly smile. And then her gaze fell on Vinnie. He looked like shit alright. And she was done with it. Time to talk. She needed to know what was wrong with him. She marched straight at him and grabbed his hand. She dragged him outside and they took place on the tribune.  
"My dear, beloved husband. Can you please tell me what is bothering you? I can't stand the sad look on your face any longer. I want to help you. But I can only help you if I know what is going on."  
Vinnie glanced at her from the corners of his eyes and smiled. Yep. That was his Violet.  
"Okay, okay, you win. You are very persistent, aren't you? I love it when you are so bossy, pretty lady…" and he wiggled his eyebrows.  
She punched him on the arm. But Vinnie didn't stop.  
"Hmmm, maybe I need some stress release first… You did such a great job this afternoon…" he said casually, stretching his muscles and swinging an arm around her shoulders.  
But Violet didn't respond to his attempts. "No way, mister. Spill it. NOW!"  
Vinnie's eyes grew big. "Babe, I love it when you talk like this…", he growled softly, but then his face grew serious again.  
"Okay, okay. Let me see. Where to begin?"  
"At the beginning."  
"Right. Smart ass…" and Vinnie glared at her. Violet smiled back innocently.

Vinnie sighed. "This whole thing with my bike… It set things in motion. I started to remember things I didn't want to remember. I already told you my dad built me this bike right? He built the whole thing from scratch, specially designed for me and me alone. When I was young, I soon discovered I looked a lot like him. I did not only got his looks and his charming personality, but also his skills. He loved to race and pull of stunts that were actually way too risky."  
He smiled at the memorie.  
Violet smiled too. "That sounds awful familiar."  
"I know, right? Well, he worked as a mechanic for the army. It was a job that took a lot of his time. But when he was at home, he was always there for me. To talk, to do nice things… He was the best. He truly was. Well, at the beginning, that is. Later on, things changed. But I'll get back on that. Unfortunately, when he was away for work, I was alone with my mother…"  
He fell silent. Violet could see how his muscles tensed and the tip of his tail started to twitch. She gently took his hand.  
"You see, I never understood what my dad saw in her. He was so kind and caring, and she… well, she was the most bitter person I've ever met my entire life. It turned out that she wasn't always like that. Throttle's dad told me the story. When my dad met my mother, she was sweet and kind. He was immediately head over heels in love with her. Quickly after they'd met, he asked her to marry him and soon after that, they got me. At first, it was the picture of a perfect family. Maybe a little like yours. But when I was six, things changed…"  
Vinnie squeezed his eyes. He could hear her screaming in his head, he could smell the scent of alcohol… His heartbeat rose, his breathing became heavier. He tried to laugh, but it was only a sad sound that came out of his mouth.  
"Dammit, look at me. Mister macho, shivering like some damn kid… I haven't talked about this in a very long time..."  
Violet rubbed his back. "You are not a kid. You are still Vinnie, the velocity atrocity. You are still sexy, you still have your amazing bike skills and you still are one tough mouse. But apparently, you have some kind of trauma. And opening up about it, talking about for the first time in years… It's completely normal your body reacts like this. Let it happen. It's okay. It's just you and me, cutie. Nothing to feel ashamed of."  
Vinnie took a few deep breaths.  
"My mother couldn't handle the married life. She didn't liked it all. She wasn't happy. Apparently, settling down and taking care of a child wasn't her thing. But she never spoke about it. She just… changed. It started small. She got angry very fast. She always had a little bit explosive personality, but it started to get worse. My father did the best he could, but it was never good enough. Everytime he was home, they were fighting. Well, that kinda went on till I was ten. Then she started drinking. A lot. She was almost drunk every day. Perhaps she thought the alcohol was gonna solve her problems, but it only made her more angry. More bitter. My father tried everything to help her, but she didn't let him. So, I think at one point he was just sick of it and gave up. He let her. He ignored her. He acted like she wasn't there. It made her even more angry."  
"Why didn't he leave her? Why would you stay with somebody that is so far gone?", Violet wondered.  
"Not sure. We never talked about this. When we were together, we were just having a good time. Tried to forget the suffering for a moment. He never talked about how he was feeling. Neither did I. He never asked how I was feeling. But if I have to guess, he loved her too much. Even when things got out control, he still loved her. She was his reason and his life. He was weak." Vinnie said the last part bitterly.  
"When my mom discovered my father ignored her existence, she took all her anger and sorrow out on me. Before that, she had never laid a hand on me. But that soon changed. It started with a smack at the back of my head sometimes. But one day, she totally lost it. She beat the crap out of me. I hardly can remember, since I lost consciousness. But I ended up in the hospital. She had broke my arm, my leg, four ribs and my head was one, big bruise. She told the doctors I fell off the stairs. They believed her. Well, that was just the start. She told everybody how clumsy I was. And everybody believed her. Even my father… Well, maybe he did suspect something. But he never said something about it. My mom threatened me that if I would tell anybody, she would kill me. I believed her. So, I kept my mouth shut. I felt so lonely. Abandoned…"  
Violet had tears in her eyes.  
"Oh my god, Vinnie… I never knew… Jezus... "  
Vinnie felt tears filling his eyes. Oh god. Not again. He hated crying. He felt weak when he was crying. He shook his head and swallowed a few times.  
"One day at school, when I was fifteen, Throttle took me apart. He asked me why I always had bruises and broken bones. 'You can't be THAT clumsy', he said. I broke. I told him everything. I couldn't hold it back anymore. And we knew each other for a long time. I trusted him. He was shocked. I begged him not to tell anybody. But of course, Throttle told his parents. You know how he is. Always doing the right thing. His parents were shocked too. They were good friends with my parents. They did knew my mom had some troubles, but they had no idea it was this bad. Tread, Throttle's father, went by to talk with my mom. Not to accuse her, but to offer her his help. Help with her problems. I was listening to the conversation at top of the stairs. My mom said Tread was right. That she would accept his help. I felt so relieved. Finally, things were gonna chance. God, I was so wrong. So naive. Like she was ever gonna get better. She was too far gone."  
Vinnie couldn't hold back his tears anymore. He squeezed his eyes and held his head in his hands. Tears were dripping on the ground.  
He cried in silence, Violet realized. The sign of a abused child.  
Her heart broke. She pulled him in her arms and stroked his back. She now understood why he never talked about how he felt. He simply never learned it. Just ignore it, then it doesn't exist. Just pretend like everything's okay and then it will be okay. Oh her poor, poor mouse.  
Vinnie suddenly started talking again.  
"When Tread left, she ran upstairs. I locked myself in my room, but she kicked the door in. She stared at me and I stared at her. Man, the look in her eyes. She looked at me with pure hatred. 'You are not my son anymore. From now on, you are death to me', she said to me and left the room. Well, she kept her word. Ever since that day, she never spoke to me again. Acted like I wasn't there. I must admit, that was even harder then the abuse. I just wanted her to see me.  
So, I started to misbehave at school. Almost everyday I ended up in fights with older mice. I broke things. I scolded my teachers. Everytime, they called my parents. And everytime, it was only my father who came. My father, with his hanging shoulders and that agonizing look on his face. He was nothing like the man he used to be anymore. I hated him. Hated him for the fact he all let this happen to me. That he didn't stood up for me.  
At one point, I was kicked out of school. After that, things got worse. I was out all night, slept the whole day, woke up around eight and started drinking and partying again. Over and over again. I used girls for seks, I picked up fights with their boyfriends.. God, I was a mess. Throttle tried to talk some sense into me, but I didn't listen. I was trying everything to fill that horrible emptiness inside. But of course, alcohol and sex don't do that.  
When I was sixteen, the Plutarkian war started. But I didn't care. I just continued with my rebellious lifestyle. One night, when I was out, a bomb fell on my house. Both of my parents, gone in just one second. I found out when I came home, drunk and bruised after fight number I don't know. I saw my house and immediately knew my parents were dead. I just stood there, staring at my house. And I started laughing. Yes, laughing. I just couldn't believe they both got away with all this so easily. It was ironic. Really. But soon after that, I broke. I was lying on the ground, crying, laughing… God, it felt like I was losing my mind.  
Throttle found me. He took me to his parents house and they immediately took me in. But, I needed to change, they said. They were gonna help me, if I wanted their help. And I needed to prove that. So, I did. I lay off the alcohol and the rest. I knew this was my only chance to live a normal life. Like you can live a normal life when you are in war. But hey, I was young. And naive.  
One night, I went back to my place. The barn was still standing. I looked inside and saw this beautiful, red race bike. I didn't even knew my father had built it for me. But when I looked at the blueprints, I saw he had drawn me on the bike… After that, I focussed to become the best biker from Mars. And succeeded, of course.  
Soon, the war became worse and I joined the Freedom Fighters with Throttle. We met Modo and became good friends. And the rest is history…"  
There was a long silence. Violet was searching for words, but she was speechless. She just held him tight, her heart pounding. Vinnie stared in the distance.  
"The thing is… I promised myself not to become like my mother. And today, I lost it. And that kills me. I so don't want to be like her. Or like my father. Don't get me wrong, he was a good guy. But he failed me. He abandoned me. But today I realized something. I have the same self destructive personality like my mom had. And the same anger issues. I just feel so angry all the time."  
Violet looked him in the eyes. "You feel angry because you don't talk about what is bothering you. You are starting to make the same mistake as your mother. Don't you see?"  
Vinnie stared at her. He laughed, he just couldn't help it.  
"Damn sweetheart…"  
Violet smiled too, but her heart was still sore. "I know. I always am. But let me tell you this. You are one sweet, loving, caring guy. Maybe you have some similarities with your mother. But it's about how you deal with them. The key word here is talk. Talk about your feelings. Don't let them eat you up from the inside. You have seen what that does to somebody. Don't go that far. And then, things will be alright. And I will always be on your side. To help you. To guide you when you need it. But please, keep talking to me."  
Vinnie kissed her. This girl… Damn… He was never gonna let her go. She always immediately understood what was going on and how to deal with it. She never judged him for who he was. She accepted him. Him and his huge suitcase with baggage. He could tell her anything, he could cry, he could scream… And she was there for him. Always.  
"Thank you sweetheart. For everything. I really have no idea what I would do without you…" he whispered at her, leaning with his forehead against hers.  
"Anytime, cutie. Anytime. And for the record, you would be nothing without me", she said with a teasing wink. Vinnie lips curled into a smile and he kissed her again.  
"But to make you feel better; I also would be nothing without you. So… Guess we don't have another choice then to spend our lives together. What a shame…" and she kissed him.  
"Oh, I almost forgot! I had a big fight with Dani. She called me your rebound girl. Can you believe that?", she told him.  
Vinnie looked shocked. "No way! Why would she say that?"  
Violet shrugged. "I dunno. I talked to her, she said she didn't mean it. I asked her if she had feelings for you. She has, you know. But no love. Just lust. She said, quote: 'The guy breaths sex.'"  
Vinnie burst out in laughter. He just couldn't help himself. Violet laughed with him.  
"Ah well, she apologized. Things are okay now. Did she hurt you?", she asked with a worried look on her face.  
"Naahhh… I was just upset because of the whole thing with my bike and there was Dani, saying things I used to thought were truth. But I'm done with the guilt."  
"This day… was very long. Can you imagine it was only this morning that we went to Dani's hotel? One day! How many things can you do in one day? Well… Your bike got stolen. We got her back, tried to fix her, kidnapped a kid, got your bike fixed, and here we are. Man…" Violet sighed tiredly.  
Vinnie laughed. "Welcome to a day in the life from the Biker Mice From Mars. But it is now 3 AM. So we had a little bit longer then just one day. But still… It was a very productive day. OH! You forget the part when you tried a new way to release my stress...", he said, wiggling his eyebrows.  
Violet just shook her head. Crazy mouse.  
"Let's go inside."

When they walked into the scoreboard, everybody was still awake.  
"Why are you guys still up?", Violet asked. Nobody said something.  
Violet looked around the group. "What is wrong?"  
Vinnie joined her. "Bro's! Why the long faces?"  
Throttle sighed and looked at them. "Check this out." He grabbed the remote and turned on the tv. The news was on.

 _"Today, police has found a building with signs of human trafficking. The building was already empty when the police invaded it, but they found convincing evidence that a large group of people was held captive under miserable circumstances. The police is still investigating the case."_

Violet breathed in sharply. "Human trafficking? Oh my… It must be Mozz, right?"  
Throttle nodded. "Who else?"  
Carbine yawned. "You guys… No matter how awful this discovery is… I really need some sleep. This has been a fucked up day."  
"For once I agree. This was indeed one fucked up day and I am exhausted", Vinnie said, yawning. He could barely hold his eyes open.  
Throttle nodded. "Alright. Let's go get some sleep. Tomorrow, we are gonna try if we can find out more about this… discovery."  
Fifteen minutes later, the only sound that could be heard was the loud snoring of the guys.

* * *

Please review! :)


	10. Chapter 10

Thanks for the review! :)

* * *

 **Chapter ten**

Everybody woke up around 10 am. It wasn't a very long night, but it was enough. They had work to do. Dani hadn't talked to Vinnie about what happened yesterday and she felt guilty. But the white furred mouse acted like everything was fine. Everybody did. So, she decided to leave it that way. For now.  
After breakfast, they drove to the warehouse they had heard about on the news. They stopped on the roof of a building next to it and stepped off their bikes. The police was still busy with the investigation. Throttle was looking at the activity on the ground with a thoughtful frown on his face. But then he saw two detectives standing by the entrance. Ah. By the looks of things, these guys were the leaders of the investigation. They looked like the good cop and the bad cop. The first guy was well built and wore a expensive looking suit. His black hair was properly modeled. But the look on the guy's face… Well, you didn't want to mess with him. The other guy was smaller and thinner and also wore a suit, but it looked cheaper. He had short, blond hair and a friendly face. They were busy talking to each other.  
"Yo Vinnie, shoot a mic close to these two", he said while pointing at the two man.  
Vinnie did what he said and turned up the volume from his bike.  
"...for the results. By the looks of things, they held more than fifty people here. They probably left through the back door and we found some tire prints in the alley. It looked like they were heading to Lake Michigan. They probably used a boat from there", the small man said.  
"A lot of maybes and perhaps. Did the guys find anything that is gonna help us any further?", the big man sighed, shaking his head.  
"Eh, no. These people knew what they were doing. That means this is probably not the first time they did this. We maybe have found a small piece from a huge human trafficking network."  
"Yeah, well. I have the strange feeling we're not gonna solve this case, mate."  
"Don't be so negative. We are gonna find them. And end this."  
Vinnie turned off his radio. "So, now what? Even the police has no clue…"  
Modo chuckled. "Yeah well, that's nothing new right? Otherwise they would have found us already."  
Vinnie grinned. "So true, so true."  
Dani looked at Throttle. "So, why don't we go tell the police what we think? Then they can handle it and lock away this Mozz guy."  
But everybody shook their head. "No way! That will be a straight ticket into Area 51", Vinnie said.  
"Yeah, and we don't have any evidence to give to the police. Plus, if they are gonna find out who Mozz is, they are also gonna find out about us. No, we don't need the police. We are gonna do this by ourselves. But where to start?" Throttle said, rubbing his chin.  
"We need to know who runs this. Of course, it easy to think it's Mozz. But there is also a chance it's someone else. We need to be sure", Carbine said.  
"Maybe we need to find out how many buildings Mozz owns. Then we can check them. Maybe we can find something that is gonna help us how to solve this problem", Gaya suggested.  
"That is a great idea. But how are we gonna find out which buildings he owns?", Throttle asked.  
Carbine grinned. "I think it's time I call Jake again. The guy seems to be capable to find everything we need to know on that little computer of his. Let's go back to the scoreboard!"

Once back, Carbine went up to the roof again to talk to Jake. The rest dropped on the couch and beds. Dani was sitting next to Vinnie. She glanced at him. She couldn't help herself wonder how it would be to be intimate with a Martian Mouse. His body was so damn well build. He must be good in bed. She shook her head. Down, girl. He is taken. And you promised Violet that you would stay away from him. But she couldn't help herself. Some feelings you just couldn't control, no matter how hard you tried. She glanced again at him and was startled when she saw he was looking back at her. She quickly lowered her eyes. Dammit. She was acting like a teenager. She cleared her throat.  
"Listen, Vinnie... I am sorry about yesterday. There is no excuse for the things I've said."  
Vinnie patted her on her leg, a little bit to high for only a gentle pat. "It's okay, sweetheart. Let's forget about yesterday. That was some FUCKED up day, right?"  
"Right…" Dani stared at the place where he had touched her. Her body immediately reacted. She looked at him and he winked at her with a teasing smile on his lips. She quickly stood up and walked outside. "I am gonna get some fresh air, be right back!"  
Vinnie laughed softly.  
Violet looked at him. "Why did you do that?", she whispered, to avoid that the rest would hear what she was saying. Not everybody needed to know that Dani felt attracted to her man.  
Vinnie gave her a kiss. "It's just so easy to tease her. See it as some kind of payback for yesterday, alright?"  
Violet looked in his eyes and smiled. "You are so mean. Wauw." She fell silent and then winked at him. "I like it!" They were laughing softly together. Throttle was looking at them. Even if they had talked that softly, he still had heard every word they were saying. Those two… He needed to keep an eye on this. To avoid things were getting out of control. He looked at Modo and they nodded to each other. They both got up with a mischievous smile on their face. Time to learn that white furred loudmouth a lesson. Vinnie saw them coming and immediately knew what they were planning. He pushed Violet out of the way to avoid she was gonna be crushed under two very big Martian Mice and tried to jump over the couch to escape, but he was too late. Throttle and Modo jumped on him and soon they were rolling over the floor, loud laughing. Violet had fallen off the couch because of the hard push from Vinnie and she looked at Gaya. They both started to laugh. Men…

The boys were still busy with their macho mouse wrestling thing when Carbine came down.  
"Guys! Stop this madness and listen to what I have to tell you! NOW!"  
The bro's immediately stopped and stared at Carbine. She saw the looks on their faces and smiled with a blush on her cheeks. "Oops, sorry guys. Old habit…"  
Everybody laughed. They joined her to listen what she had to say.  
"Where is Dani?", Carbine asked while looking around. Everybody looked at Vinnie, who looked innocently.  
"What? It wasn't me!"  
Violet chuckled and stood up to get Dani. She looked outside and saw Dani sitting on the tribune.  
"Coming back inside? Carbine wants you there."  
Dani jumped at her feet. "Yeah, sure."

Violet looked at her. "Sooooo, cleared your head?", she asked innocently, waving with her eyelashes.  
Dani stared at her. She immediately understood that Vinnie touched her in that way on purpose. That sneaky bastard. Violet laughed and walked inside. Dani followed her and sat down as far as possible from Vinnie. She had learned her lesson.  
"So, I've talked to Jake. He found all the buildings in the city owned by Mozz and he has send me a list. Unfortunately, our big fish owns a lot of buildings here. So it's gonna be a hard task to check them all. But I don't think we have another choice."  
"I say, let's split up and divide all the buildings. If we go together it's gonna take ages to check them all", Throttle said. The rest agreed.  
"Okay, there are gonna be a few rules. One; Vinnie and Violet are not going together without one of us", Carbine started. Vinnie and Violet immediately gave a loud protest but she held up her hand.  
"No dice. I don't trust you two. Two; no shooting, no explosions, etc. This mission is about finding more information. See it as a secret mission. Nobody can know we are investigating this. Understand?!" She looked mainly at Vinnie and Violet.  
Vinnie was about to open his mouth to give a loud protest, but Violet stopped him. "Yeah, yeah. We understand."  
"Good. Vinnie, you'll go with Throttle. Violet, you will come with me. Modo and Gaya, you'll take Dani with you."  
She grabbed the list and a map and they planned who was gonna check which building.  
"Alright, does everybody know where to go?", Carbine asked. Everybody nodded.  
Throttle pulled on his helmet and smiled. "Then I think it's time to rock… and ride!"

They split up and drove each in another direction. Throttle and Vinnie drove to the other side of town.  
"Did you talked to Violet?", Throttle asked while they were driving through the streets. Vinnie swirled around a car.  
"Yeah, I did. And of course, she perfectly knew what to say to make me feel better."  
"Glad to hear that, bro. She sure is a special girl."  
"Yeah, I know."  
They stopped at the first building and left the bikes outside. They looked through the windows, but saw nothing.  
"Come on, let's go through the back", Throttle said.\  
Vinnie opened the door with one of his flairs and they sneaked inside. But they soon saw the building was empty. Throttle still wanted to check every floor, just in case. But there was nothing there.  
The next building was also empty.  
When they came to the third, Vinnie saw somebody going inside.  
"Let's scoop it out, bro." They parked the bikes around the corner and slowly approached the building. It was a old building and looked very neglected. Throttle walked around the building. At first sight it also looked abandoned. But Vinnie was sure he had seen someone go inside. He peeked through the window, but it was dark inside. "So now what, fearless leader? Since we can't make heroic entrances?"  
Throttle chuckled. "Now, we are gonna sneak inside, Vinnie my man. Just the way you like it."  
Vinnie stuck out his tongue, but followed Throttle. The door at the back was closed, but that was no problem when you had Vinnie and his flairs. The door squeaked and moaned when Vinnie slowly opened it. They both froze and pricked their ears. But they heard nothing. Throttle signed to Vinnie that he could move on. Once inside, the first thing that caught them was the smell.  
"Ugh", Vinnie growled softly and closed his visor. Throttle did the same. He looked around him. They were standing in some kind of hallway. He took the lead and slowly peeked around the corner. What he saw, took his breath away. The whole room was filled with people, mostly hobos and whores. People that nobody was gonna miss, Throttle realized. They were all chained to the walls and were guarded by people with guns. Vinnie peeked around Throttle since it was taking so long and breathed in sharply. The poor people were sitting in their own filth and were all very skinny. When he looked closer, he saw some that people were already dead and the corpses were started to decomposing. Well, that explained the smell. He looked at Throttle.  
"Are we gonna save them?", he asked.  
Throttle shook his head. "We need to know more before we come into action. If they find out we know about this, they are gonna disappear and then we blowed our chance to stop this. We need to find out who is running this."  
"Well, we can grab one guard? And punch him till he says who his boss is?", Vinnie said, his face super excited. Throttle smiled and shook his head.  
"No dice. Let's see if we can get any closer. Maybe we can hear something from the guards."  
He pressed himself against the wall and slid around the corner. He jumped and after a head roll, he hid behind some big boxes that were standing in the the corner of the room. Vinnie followed him. They peeked between the boxes and saw two guards standing close to them. But they weren't talking. Dammit. Vinnie was looking at the people. Suddenly, his heart stopped. He saw big ears drooped next to the head. A tail lying on the ground. He elbowed Throttle and pointed.  
"Tell me that is not a Martian Mouse?", he whispered urgent. Throttle looked and froze.  
"Sorry to disappoint you, but by the looks of things, it is a Martian Mouse…" he trailed off.  
"What the fuck? How is that even possible?" Vinnie tried to look if he recognized the face, but the mouse was keeping his head down. He pushed a button on his helmet and zoomed in. The poor mouse was not in good shape. Dirt was sticking in his fur, and since it was dark in here, Vinnie couldn't see what color his fur was. He zoomed in at the head, in the hope to find out if it was somebody they knew. His heart made another jump in his chest. Was that...orange hair…? Hard to see because of the dirt, but he saw it alright.  
"Jezus, Throttle. It's Rimfire!"

Meanwhile, Modo, Gaya and Dani were driving to the next building. So far, the buildings they checked were empty. Suddenly, the radio in their helmets came to life. It was Throttle.  
"I need everybody at the scoreboard, pronto! We've found something. Get your tails over here, NOW!"  
Modo looked at Gaya. "Oh momma, that didn't sound good at all. Let's go."  
They turned around and drove full speed back to the scoreboard. When they came inside, the rest was already back. Modo pulled his helmet off and looked at Throttle and Vinnie. Vinnie looked even more pale than when he had a hangover and Throttle was frowning. This was not good.  
"Okay, Throttle. Spill it."  
Throttle looked at Modo. "Modo… We've found Rimfire."  
Modo felt his legs became weak and he dropped on the couch. "Say what?"  
Throttle quickly explained what he and Vinnie had found out. Modo stared at him.  
"But… how… I don't understand. I thought he was dead…"  
"He was missing for so long. Everybody thought he was dead. Especially when Mars was blown into the seventh galaxy. I really don't know how he ended up here, but he did."  
Modo was in shock. "Oh momma.. We need to get him out!" and he stood up.  
"Wow, easy big fella. We are gonna get him. But we need to do this by the book. We heard the guards saying they are gonna move the people from the warehouse tonight. And we are gonna be there. But we only grab Rimfire. We need to keep a low profile until we know more", Throttle said.  
Modo slowly sank at the couch again. "I still can't believe this. How on Mars did he ended up here?" Gaya took him in her arms. He had told her about Rimfire. He went on a mission for the Freedom Fighters and never returned. The mice he had been with on the mission did came back, but had no idea what had happened to Rimfire. He suddenly was… gone. That had happened when the bro's were still on Earth, fighting their fight with Limburger. It had broken Modo's heart, so he told her. She was glad to hear that his cousin was still alive.  
"This is kinda good news, right?", she said with a little smile.  
Modo looked at her and smiled too. "Yeah… Yeah it is! He is the only family I have left, beside you guys of course. I just hope he is not that badly injured…"  
Vinnie looked at Throttle, but the tan furred mouse shook his head. They had seen Rimfire was in a bad state, but if they were gonna tell Modo that right now, the big guy was gonna take off and grab the kid by himself, with all its consequences. And that was something he didn't want to happen. One; because it could kill Modo and two; he still wanted to keep a low profile. This was huge. They needed to stop this. And before they could do that, they needed to know more. Vinnie looked at Modo with a guilty expression on his face, but said nothing.  
"Okay, the plan for tonight. Gaya, you stay here with Dani. I don't want her near this people…" but Gaya interrupted Throttle.  
"Normally, I don't have any trouble to follow up your orders, but this time it's different. I want to be there for Modo."  
Throttle opened his mouth, but Carbine was faster. "I understand. I will stay here with Dani. No problem."  
Throttle opened his mouth again and waited for a few seconds, but this time nobody interrupted him. Good.  
"Vinnie, I want you to grab Rimfire. You can cut open his chains with your flairs. But please, try to keep a low profile. My idea is to grab him without the guards even notice he is gone. You think you can do that?"  
Vinnie didn't even complain. No, this was Modo's family. No need to put him in even more danger.  
"Yeah, no problem. I do know how to be quiet, you know. I just don't like it. But I can. So I will. This time. Only this time."  
Because actually, his hands were itching to blow up the whole building along with the guards. To treat people like they do.. Like they are nothing.. Well, that was crossing a line. But when he looked at Modo, he immediately knew the big guy was even more itchy to make them pay. But he also knew Throttle was right. They needed to think further. This was only a small part from it. If they wanted to stop this, they needed to follow up the ladder and destroy the one on top.  
"Good. The rest will have Vinnie's back and if necessary, we will fight. No matter how badly I want to stop this, our lives are priority number one. We are not gonna be slaughtered like we are some helpless sheeps. Understand?"  
Even Throttle had itchy hands, Vinnie noticed. He grinned. You know shit was gonna get real if even Throttle had the urge to fight.

The waiting was killing Modo. It was only four o'clock in the afternoon and they were all ready to go. But they needed to wait. He was brushing his bike for the tenth time now. She was already shining like a star, but he needed to do something. Vinnie was also getting anxious. At five o'clock he punched a hole in the wall.  
"I can't take it anymore, I need to whip some tail!", he yelled desperate. Throttle swung a arm around his shoulders.  
"Wow, chill, adrenaline mouse. You will get your chance." Modo looked at Vinnie and then to the hole in the wall. He decided to follow the example of his white furred bro. Maybe it did help to deal with this anxiety. But out of habit, he used his bionic arm and half of the wall flew outside. Everybody stopped with what they were doing and turned around.  
Modo smiled sheepishly. "Oops…"  
Vinnie burst out laughing. Throttle just stared at Modo.  
"What the hell, big fella?"  
Modo chuckled embarrassed. "Yeah, uh… well… I thought, let's follow Vinnie's example. Maybe it helps? But uh… yeah… well…" He blushed.  
"You really thought: let's follow Vinnie's example? What the… Modo. I thought you were smarter than that", Carbine said, but with a smile on her face.  
Modo was rubbing the back of his head, still smiling sheepishly. "Yeah… well…"  
Vinnie was still laughing. He almost couldn't breathe. He held his belly and tears filled his eyes. Oh god, the look on Modo's face. It was priceless. And the fact that half the wall just flew out was priceless too. He slowly calmed down a little bit, but when he looked at Modo, he started laughing again. It didn't took long before the rest joined him. Dani was laughing too. She had to admit, being with Martian Mice had his benefits. They sure were funny sometimes. She suddenly realized why Charley had stayed with them. It felt like a switch turned in her head. She completely understood now. They were kind, funny and caring. They were the good guys. They were risking their own lives to save others. They were heroes. She looked at them. They all looked so carefree now, all laughing hard about Modo's action. She felt a warm feeling inside. Yes. She finally understood it. It felt like a huge weight fell of her shoulders. She needed to keep them close. Embrace them. They were all worth their weight in gold.

FINALLY, it was time to go. They drove to the building and Throttle ordered Violet to keep guard at the roof. Modo and Throttle took both sides of the building and Vinnie parked his bike next to Throttle and climbed off. Gaya stood next to Modo on the other side.  
Thankfully, they didn't need to wait that long. A big truck stopped in the alley in front of the back door. Two men jumped out and opened the back of the truck. The door from the building opened and two guards stepped out. They looked around and nodded at the two men from the truck. One guard waved and the people slowly came out. Their hands were cuffed and a big chain was tying them to each other. Vinnie peeked around the corner. Luck was on their side, since Rimfire came out last. The guards were busy with stuffing everybody into the truck. This was his chance. He quickly ran to Rimfire with his head low while grabbing a flare. The guards still didn't saw him. He lit the flair and froze for a moment, but still, nobody noticed him. Vinnie let out his breath and ran further. But when he was standing next to Rimfire, he suddenly stopped. Rimfire wasn't the only Martian Mouse, he saw now. There were two more. Shit. Now what? He quickly made a decision. No Martian Mouse was born to be captive. He lay a hand on Rimfire's arm. The poor guy didn't even notice.  
"Rimfire. It's me, Vinnie", Vinnie whispered while cutting his chains. Rimfire slowly lifted his head. His eyes grew big.  
"V.. Vinnie?"  
"Quick, go to that corner of the building, you will find Throttle there. I will grab these two. Go. Now."  
Rimfire did what him was told and he stumbled away. Vinnie continued his task and cut the chains from the other two mice. He grabbed their arms without looking at them and dragged them with him. It looked like luck was finally on their side for once. The guards didn't saw him. They even didn't noticed they were missing three prisoners. They closed the doors from the truck and it drove away. The rest went back inside.  
Vinnie flew around the corner. Rimfire was already on the back of Throttle's bike. Throttle quickly looked at the two other mice Vinnie had brought with him.  
"Violet, come down, we need you to take a passenger."  
Violet quickly came down and Vinnie set one mouse on the back of her bike. The other one he set behind him.  
"Alright, let's get the hell out of here before they notice we are here", he said and sped away. The rest followed him.

When they were back at the scoreboard, Carbine ran over to them. She stopped when she saw the other two mice.  
"What the?"  
Vinnie shrugged. "I found out when I cut Rimfire loose. I couldn't let these two behind."  
Modo jumped off his bike and ran over to Rimfire. He pulled him in his arms.  
"Rimfire! Oh momma, you are alive!"  
Rimfire stared at him. "Unc.. Uncle Modo?"  
"Yes, boy, it's me! Oh momma, look at you. We need to get you clean, come on." Modo lifted Rimfire from Throttle's bike, but Rimfire tried to stop him.  
"No, I need… I need to tell.. you something", he whispered, but Modo didn't hear him. He walked to the bathroom.  
Vinnie and Throttle helped the other two mice from the bikes. "Are you guys okay?", Vinnie asked worried. The left mouse, a female he saw now, lifted up her head. "Vinnie?", she asked with disbelief.  
Vinnie froze. That voice. A voice that he thought he was never gonna hear again in his life. He stared at the mouse.  
It was her alright. He saw her blue eyes.

"Har… Harley?"

* * *

Please review! :)


	11. Chapter 11

Thanks for the reviews! :D

* * *

 **Chapter eleven**

Violet froze too. No way… No fucking way this was happening. There was a long silence. But then, Harley jumped in Vinnie's arms.  
"Oh my god, Vinnie. I thought I would never see you again. I thought you were dead! Jezus..", she said with a voice thick of emotion. Vinnie just held her. He was completely loss at words. He stared at Throttle over Harley's head. Throttle also didn't know what to say.  
Harley made herself loose and looked at Vinnie. "I can't believe this…"  
Vinnie was still staring at her with his mouth open. But then, he realized what was happening. Harley was alive. Holy shit. He shook his head.  
"Man. I can't believe this either. I thought you were dead too…"  
Harley smiled at him. But then she suddenly realized she was not alone. She grabbed the other mouse and dragged him close to her.  
"This is Mikey, my eh… partner." The mouse in front of Vinnie could barely stand on his feet, but he gave a small smile at Vinnie.  
"Nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you." And he offered his hand. Vinnie shook it, a little dazed.  
Carbine intervened. "This is a lot to take right now. You guys are sick and need to rest. Later, we can talk. First, we are gonna clean you up and give you something to eat."  
She took them to the bathroom and knocked. Modo popped his head around the door and almost fell on the ground when he recognized Harley.  
"HARLEY!" he yelled. "Oh momma, how glad I am to see you!"  
Harley smiled at him. "Modo, it's so good to see you too."  
"How far are you with Rimfire in there?", Carbine asked, strict as always.  
"Almost done."  
While Carbine was waiting with Harley and Mikey till the bathroom was free, Vinnie was still standing at the same spot. Violet walked over to him.  
"Are you okay, cutie?", she asked worried. Vinnie looked at her with wide eyes.  
"Yeah.. Yeah, I'm fine. This is just a big shock. But… Dammit."  
Violet swallowed. "I really hate to ask you this right now, but do I need to be worried? I mean… She was your first love, right?"  
Vinnie gave himself a mental shake and looked at Violet.  
"Sweetheart. I can't believe you even ask this. I'm with you now. I don't want to be with anybody else. I moved on. Harley did too, by the looks of things. It's just a huge shock she is suddenly standing right in front of me, after all those years I thought she was dead. But you don't need to worry. You are my home. Forever."  
Violet felt a huge relief flooding through her body. "It's a huge shock indeed..."  
He smiled and gently tucked her hair behind her ear. "Don't doubt my love for you. Never."  
She nodded and rested her head against his chest.  
"I won't."  
She sniffed up his scent she loved so much. It was almost scary how much she loved this mouse.  
He held her tightly and whispered some sweet things in Martian in her ear. She leaned against him and closed her eyes. Home.

Later that night, Harley, Mikey and Rimfire were clean and fed. They still were weak, but felt a lot better now. Harley still looked the same, although a little bit skinnier. Mikey was also a light brown furred mouse. He was quite big but had, but the looks of things, lost a lot of muscle because of the starvation. He was sitting on the couch with his arm around Harley, who was leaning against him. Rimfire looked like he was twenty years older. His imprisonment had left his scars, physically and mentally. Modo looked at him from time to time with a worried look on his face. Throttle had told them everything, about Mars, about the Plutarkians, the war against the Glaciers on Coelum, their new home. Why they were back at Earth and they introduced Dani. The three mice were awfully quiet after the story. They had lost their home. Forever.  
Mikey sighed. "I am so glad you guys found us. I must say, it's truly a miracle."  
They all agreed. "So, how did you guys end up there?", Modo asked. Rimfire's face darkened.  
"I was on a mission for the Freedom Fighters, when I suddenly drove into a kinda transporter device. On the other side, Plutark. It was their new idea to catch us mice. I was the first one and after that, the whole thing exploded. So far their good idea. They threw me in the prison there and I was stuck there for a long time. It was a bad time…" he trailed off and stared at the ground. Modo gently patted his arm.  
"One day, a fish came in to tell we were going to Earth. The big boss was busy with a project and they needed extra hands to build it. So, that's how I got here. I found out Harley and Mikey were in the same group as me. Tonight, we were going to be sent back to Plutark. Thank the mothers of Mars you guys showed up."  
"Oh momma, I'm so sorry you had to go through all this…", Modo said, feeling very sad. Rimfire gave him a sad smile.  
"It's not your fault, uncle Modo. I'm just glad I'm finally free again and reunited with you guys."  
Throttle looked at Harley. "What about you? We searched for months after Mace grabbed you. What is your story?"  
"Mace brought me to the other side of Mars and held me prisoner for a long time between the rats. But they treated me kinda good actually. I think Mace had some sort of weakness for me. I was not the only mouse they had caught. So, I met Mikey after a couple of years. One day, we managed to escape. But unfortunately, that same day the Plutarkians caught us. They transported us to Earth and we ran into Rimfire. The rest you know."  
Vinnie was awfully quiet. He had so many things to say to her, but the words didn't come.  
Harley stood up and offered him her hand. "Can I talk to you, Vinnie? In private?"  
Vinnie quickly looked at Violet, who gave him a small nodd. He took Harley's hand, but when he was on his feet he quickly let it go. They climbed up to the roof and sat down on the edge. Vinnie was staring at his feet. How many times had he dreamed of finding Harley? Saving her from the bad guys, being the hero and all. And after that, he would take her in his arms and kiss her. But now, things were different. He had Violet now. This sure was awkward.  
Harley looked at him and smiled. "You still look like the day I saw you for the last time. Well, almost. You didn't looked this sad…"  
"Sad? Moi? Pfuh. Just tired, sweetheart. Busy days…", he said, putting on his mask again. But then he sighed.  
"Look Harley… I never gave up on you. I want you to know that. I have searched for months. But I couldn't find you. It was so frustrating. It destroyed me. The guys one day convinced me that I needed to move on. But I never forgot about you."  
Harley gently took his hand and squeezed in it.  
"It's okay, Vinnie. I understand. There was nothing you could do…" she fiddled with his fingers.  
"It's a shame, though. That we were broke apart, I mean. I really liked you. I still… like you…"  
Vinnie squeezed his eyes. How many years had he waited to hear her say these words? But things were different now. Right? Dammit. He just told Violet not to doubt his love for her. But… He opened his eyes and looked at Harley.  
"We both moved on. You too. You have Mikey now."  
Harley bit on her lower lip. "Yeah, I know. And I truly love him. But you are my weakness. Always have been. Sitting next to you now… I thought you were dead. That's what's Mace told me. First, I didn't believe him. But later on, I did. It broke my heart. And then I met Mikey, and he helped me with my grieve. And I will be forever grateful for that. But…" she trailed off.  
Vinnie looked at her. "But what? What are you saying, sweetheart? That we have to pick it up again where we left off?"  
Harley looked him in the eye. "I honestly don't know…", she whispered and she slowly came closer to him.  
Vinnie looked into her eyes, her beautiful blue eyes… Why weren't they green? He felt her lips on his. Why weren't they soft? And why didn't she smell like Violet?  
He froze and backed away. "No. No. I'm really sorry, Harley, but I can't. I love Violet. She saved me. Multiple times. My heart belongs to her now. It has been what, five or six years ago? A lot has happened in that time. I maybe still look the same, but I'm not."  
Harley touched his face, tears in her eyes.  
"I know, Vinnie, I know. I'm sorry, I…", she broke into tears and ran downstairs.  
Vinnie sighed. Whoo. That sure was close. But he felt he made the right decision. Suddenly, he felt a hand in his neck. He immediately knew it was Violet.  
"Hey cutie. You okay? Harley was really upset when she came down…" she said while taking place next to him.  
He looked at her, her beautiful green eyes, her soft lips, her beautiful caramel coloured fur…  
"Yeah, I'm fine. I eh… Well, Harley and I talked and she eh… well…", he stuttered.  
Violet's blood turned cold. "What, Vinnie?", she asked, a little bit sharper then she had intended.  
Vinnie kinda looked startled. "She kissed me", he blurted out. Violet gritted her teeth.  
"I didn't kiss her back, though. I told her my heart belongs to you now."  
Violet relaxed a little. "You know, I am starting to get a little bit tired of all those girls who are chasing my guy…", she sighed.  
Vinnie gave her a cocky grin.  
"That's because I'm a mean, wild, lady machine. Part of the deal, sweetheart."  
Violet punched him on the arm, but her lips curled into a smile.  
Vinnie whirled his tail around hers. "I am all yours, doll. You need to trust me."  
"I do trust you. I just don't trust all those girls."  
She looked at him. He looked at her with a naughty spark in his eyes.  
"Oh no, you do…", but Vinnie grabbed her and jumped of the scoreboard. Violet screamed the lungs out of her body. Vinnie whistled and his bike flew out of the window. He jumped on it and when the tires hit the ground, he sped away with Violet behind him.  
"I swear to god, Vinnie, if you ever do that again…", Violet screamed in his ear, but Vinnie only laughed.  
"Oh come on, sweetheart. I'm the best... and don't you just hate me for it?"  
Violet shook her head. This guy…

Vinnie drove to the coast of Lake Michigan and stopped. They pulled off their helmets and sat down on the sand. Vinnie pulled Violet in his arms and she rested with her back against his chest. He lay his chin on her head and they looked at the lake. It was a beautiful sight, with the moon shining on the water. Vinnie took a deep breath and sighed.  
"Jezus, what a mess. I don't wanna go back to the board. I don't wanna see her. I just wanna sit here with you", he said, his voice low.  
Violet closed her eyes. "Same here, same here. But we have to go back… eventually. For now, let's enjoy the peace and each other."  
They sat there for a while in silence. Vinnie sat with his eyes closed, breathing in her scent. God, he loved her so much.  
"Why don't you like children?", she suddenly asked.  
Vinnie's eyes flew open. Oh god.  
"Why do you ask?", he asked, trying to sound nonchalant.  
"I saw how you reacted at Mozart. I just wondered…", she said innocently.  
Vinnie felt his heartbeat rising. Oh no. No, no, no. She couldn't be pregnant, right?  
Violet was smiling at herself, she felt how he was tensing his muscles and how his heart was pounding in his chest.  
"I eh… I just don't like them. They are always so honest. And gross. And noisy. And they never listen. And the most important thing; they hinder your freedom."  
He tried to control his rapid breathing. "Jezus, Violet. Why do you ask? Please tell me you're not pregnant…", he pleaded at her.  
Violet laughed.  
"No silly you. I am not pregnant. I told ya, I just wondered. You know. For the future?"  
Vinnie felt silent for a moment. Pfew. Thank the mothers of Mars. But then he realized she was teasing him.  
"You are so dead!" and he started tickling her. Violet screamed and laughed. She tried to run away, but Vinnie caught her. They both fell on the ground and rolled down, loud laughing. Vinnie ended on his back with Violet on his chest. Their laughing slowly died.  
Violet looked into his ruby red eyes. "But really, cutie. No kids? Never?"  
Vinnie looked like he was having another panic attack. Violet kissed him.  
"Easy there, hotshot. I wasn't talking about now. I just thought, maybe when we are older?"  
Vinnie was about to answer, when the sound of a gunshot splitted the air. Vinnie immediately reacted.  
He rolled over and within seconds, Violet was lying under him. He lifted up his head and looked around.  
"Sounds like it came from the dock…", he said. Violet was about to answer when they heard another gunshot. Vinnie whistled for his bike and jumped at his feet.  
"Come on, sweetheart, let's scoop it out." He dragged her on his bike and drove to the dock.  
"Don't we need to call Throttle for back up?", Violet asked worried.  
"Naahhh, we can do this, sweetheart."

He stopped behind a boat shed and peeked around the corner. He saw the same two guards they saw at the building where they had found Rimfire. And the other two. No names. He was in denial for now. Childish, he knew. But hey, enough was enough alright.  
He saw two dead bodies lying in front of the guards. There was one woman left. She was crying, no, begging them to keep her alive. The guards laughed and one slapped her in the face and then grabbed her by the hair.  
"You really want to live?", he asked her, spitting in her face.  
The poor woman, who was skinny to the bone, breathed heavily.  
"Yes! Please, just let me go. I won't tell anybody about this. My lips are sealed. Please.."  
The guard laughed and reached to his belt. "Well, freedom is not for free you know… It does have a price…" and he opened his pants.  
"Hold her", he ordered to the other guard.  
The woman screamed. "NOOO! No, please…"  
Violet grabbed Vinnie. "They gonna rape her. Oh my god, Vinnie, we need to stop them. Oh no, WAIT! Throttle told us to keep a low profile.. SHIT. Call him. NOW!"  
But Vinnie shook his head. "No way. That is gonna take too long. No sweetheart, it's tail whippin' time!" and he revved his bike. Violet was about to say something to stop him, but then she closed her mouth. They needed to stop this. She was with him this time. Vinnie opened the gas and sped to the guards. When they heard his engine, they quickly grabbed their guns, but they never stood a chance. Vinnie drove straight at them and when he was close enough, Violet punched the left guy and Vinnie grabbed the right guy. The left guy flew into the water and sank to the bottom. Vinnie high fived Violet.  
"Nice teamwork, sweetheart", he said smiling and he turned his bike. He stopped next to the woman.  
Violet stepped of his bike and kneeled next to her.  
"Are you alright, ma'am?", she asked worried.  
The woman was crying, but nodded. "Yes. Yes, I am now. Thank you so much. Thank you…" and she grabbed Violet's hand.  
"Can we call somebody for you?", Violet asked.  
The woman shook her head. "No. I'm alone. I just want to go home…" and she slowly stood up.  
"You need a ride?", Violet asked, also standing up.  
"No. I want to walk. It has been so long ago since I took a walk. I love to walk, you know. Thank you", she said and walked away.  
"Okaaayyy…", she said. That woman was weird alright. But at least she was fine.

Meanwhile, Vinnie had grabbed his gun and held it against the head of the guard.  
"Okay, dude, talk fast. Who is your leader?", Vinnie growled.  
The guard shook his head. "No way. If I talk, he kills me."  
"Well, if you DON'T talk, I will kill you."  
"I'm dead anyway. So, just do it. Let's get this over with."  
Vinnie narrowed his eyes. Okay, change of plans. This needed a little bit more drastic measures.  
"Oh, no, no, no, sweetheart. You are not gonna get away so easily with what you tried to do to that poor woman…" He put his gun back in his holster and grabbed a knife. He looked meaningful at the man and slowly lowered his eyes till he was looking at his cross. The guy took the hint. He started struggling.  
"No, please, don't… please... "  
"Spill it. Who is your boss?"  
The guy still hesitated. Vinnie set the knife on the guys chest and slowly let it slide down. The knife cut through the guy's shirt and his flesh. He looked down and saw the blood. Right before the knife reached his pants, he screamed.  
"OKAY OKAY! Jezus, are you crazy or something?"  
Vinnie gave him his most charming smile.  
"Some say I am. A little word of advice, don't test me. Now, I am gonna ask you this one more time. Who is your boss?"  
"I don't know, I…" but Vinnie interrupted him.  
"You don't know? Dude, really? What did I just tell you? Don't TEST me!"  
"Please, let me finish. We get orders from a guy named Deep Pocket. We don't know who he is, alright? We only know he is very dangerous and knows everything that is happening in this town."  
Vinnie froze. Deep Pocket. Mace… He looked at the guy again.  
"Okay, so what is it that you are doing? Tell me everything you know."  
"I'm just a guard. It pays well. Our job is to guard the humans and transport them from town to here. From here, they continue on a boat, but I have no idea where they take them. I'm a nobody…"  
"You're right. You are nobody. My guess that nobody is gonna miss a nobody, right?", Vinnie smiled evil. The guy his eyes grew wide.  
"No please.." but Vinnie slammed the knife in his chest. He pulled it out and threw the guy in the water.  
He looked at himself. Blood was splattered on his snow white fur.  
"Great. Just great." He turned around and looked at the dead bodies.  
"Eh, yeah… I think I'm gonna make that call now… Throttle is gonna be pissed. Very pissed..."  
Violet smiled reassuring at him.  
"Well, at least we are in this together. I think we made the right decision. We couldn't let them harm her, right?"  
Vinnie nodded, but he still had a stuffy expression on his face.  
"You've never experienced a mad Throttle, right? Well, brace yourself."  
Vinnie activated his radio. "Vinnie?", they heard Throttle's voice asking.  
"Heeey fearless leader! What's up, yo?", Vinnie cheered.  
Violet stared at him with a questionable look. What was he doing? Vinnie shrugged and smiled nervous. He just couldn't help himself.  
He hated it when Throttle was mad at him.  
"Okay, Vincent. What did you do this time?", Throttle sighed, immediately knowing something was wrong. Vinnie smiled sheepishly.  
"Well, I eh… Hehe… I… You remember you told us to keep a low profile?", Vinnie stuttered.  
"Yeah... So?", Throttle said, his voice dangerously low.  
"Well, eh… We eh.."  
"SPILL IT, Vincent", Throttle said, still with that low voice.  
Vinnie sighed. Throttle almost never yelled. He just wished he did. That would be so much better than this.  
"We ran into two guards from the warehouse. They killed two women and eh.. Well, maybe it's for the best if you come over here."  
"You bet I will. Dammit Vinnie. Why don't you never listen?" and Throttle shut down the radio.  
Vinnie looked at Violet. "Ah man. This is gonna suck, big time…"  
And how right he was…

Vinnie had cleaned himself a little bit with water, but the blood was stuck in his fur. This needed a long shower and a lot of shampoo.  
Violet looked at him. "Red is so not your color…", she said smiling. But her smile quickly disappeared when they heard engines.  
"Well, here goes nothing…", Vinnie said and he grabbed Violet's hand.  
Throttle stopped right in front of them with Modo and Carbine. He opened his visor.  
Vinnie swallowed. "Hey, bro's... Why the long faces?", he said smiling, but when he saw Throttle fuming eyes, his smile vanished.  
Throttle stepped of his bike and looked at the dead bodies, then to the blood on the floor and his gaze stopped on Vinnie and his red fur.  
"What happened?", he demanded.  
Violet took the word. "We were just chilling at the beach when we heard gunshots. We checked it out and saw two dead bodies and two guards. The same we saw at the warehouse. There was also another woman. They were gonna rape her, Throttle… So we.."  
"So you two decided to play the saving heroes and blow up our cover?", Throttle asked with gritted teeth.  
Violet swallowed. Oh my… he really was mad. Vinnie squeezed her hand.  
"Well, what choice did we have, Throttle? We couldn't just…", Violet started but Throttle held up his hand.  
"You guys could have called me, for example? To inform me and make up a plan. But no, you two decided to go in without thinking. Like always. I thought I had made myself perfectly clear that we needed to keep a low profile? I am not saying that for nothing, you know. This is huge. And we can't just solve this by blowing up things and killing people. You two..", he took a deep breath, to try himself to calm down.  
Vinnie cleared his throat.  
"Well, eh… I…", but Throttle shook his head.  
"I don't want to hear it. You are looking like Jack the Ripper, for fuck sake. It's perfectly clear what happened here. I can't believe you two. WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO GROW UP?", he suddenly yelled. Modo and Carbine were awfully quiet.  
Throttle looked at Violet.  
"I expected better from you, Violet. I thought you were a little bit more responsible than that dumb loudmouth over there. I can't believe this!" Violet lowered her eyes.  
Vinnie tried it again. "Throttle, listen to me, I..", but Throttle didn't listen. No, he just continued scolding on them.  
"Throttle..? Throt… THROTTLE!", Vinnie screamed. Throttle stared at him.  
"Man, can you please shut up for just one minute? After that, you can continue yelling at us, okay? We needed to make a decision in the heat of the moment. We just couldn't let them rape her, right? That would be wrong on so many levels. And…",  
Throttle was about to interrupt him, but Vinnie shook his head.  
"NO. Shut up. I've talked with one of the guards. He didn't knew who the big boss is. All he knew was that they were getting orders from a guy named Deep Pocket."  
There was a deadly silence.  
Modo and Carbine exchanged looks. Modo's eye started to glow red.  
"MACE! That underhand traitor!", he growled.  
Throttle stared at Vinnie.  
"Are you sure about this?", he asked.  
Vinnie nodded.  
"Absolutely. I may be dumb, according to you, but not deaf."  
Throttle sighed. "I'm sorry, Vinnie. I shouldn't have said that. But really, you two... "  
Vinnie smiled. "I know, I know."  
Throttle rubbed his chin. "Deep Pocket huh? Hmmm. Well, it's a start. Let's dump these two bodies in the water and go back to the board."  
Vinnie hesitated. He really didn't want to see Harley. Modo saw it.  
"She is gone, Vinnie. She and Mikey took our ship back to Coelum. Jake will return it after that. It's all settled. They didn't want to fight this war. Or be a distraction, Harley's words."  
Vinnie let out his breath. "Okay, good. Thanks, bro. What about Rimfire?"  
"He stays. He needs our help to recover from all the shit that happened to him…"  
Vinnie patted Modo's arm. "I'm sorry, bro."  
Modo gave him a little smile. "He will be alright. Just gonna take some time. And maybe some fishing trips with his favorite uncle."  
Vinnie gasped. "His favorite uncle? Where did you find him?"  
Modo punched him on the arm. "Very funny, Vin man."  
Vinnie laughed and shoved one of the bodies with his foot in the water. Carbine did the other one.  
"Let's ride."

Throttle was deep in thoughts on the way back. Deep Pocket. This was going to be very interesting.

* * *

Please review! :)


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter twelve**

"I'll say: we smash everything in sight, throw Megan out of the window and pound that stinkfish till he tells us how he is all running this. And who Deep Pocket is"  
Vinnie was pacing through the board. It was the next morning and he was ready to whip some tail.  
Throttle thought about it.  
"Yeah… But what concerns me is that we haven't heard a thing from Mozz or Megan since we kidnapped the kid. He is planning something."  
"So, there you go. A perfect reason to pay him a visit", and Vinnie jumped on his bike.  
Throttle was about to say something when they suddenly heard a sound outside. Everybody pricked their ears.  
Silence.  
Carbine slowly moved to the window and peaked outside. She swallowed and slowly turned around.  
"Eh guys? We have company…"  
The rest also looked out of the window. The whole field was filled with goons. In the middle stood Rocket. But it looked like Megan had improved him. He now was as big as a small house and his eyes were glowing red.  
"Ah man, not this guy again", Vinnie sighed.  
"Biker Mice! We know you are here. Come out and fight like a man!", Rocket yelled but as soon as he had finished his sentence, the mice were already on their bikes and standing on top of the tribune. Their headlights shined on Rocket.  
"Be very very careful what you wish for…", Vinnie said.  
"Because you might as well get it!", Modo finished.  
"And we are mice. So we fight like mice. Biker Mice style! Bring it on, boxing ball!", Throttle said.  
He looked at his bro's and the girls. Dani was still inside with Rimfire.  
"Time for the flip side, bro's." They revved their engines and popped a wheelie.  
"It's tail whippin' tiiime!", they sang together and they drove straight to the army of goons. The girls quickly followed.  
"You guys take care of the goons, I'll handle the big guy", Throttle ordered. He drove straight to Rocket and the others splitted up.

Modo drove towards four buggies and raised his arm cannon.  
"Bop Bop, Beep Beep, oh what a release it is", he sang happily while he shot them out of order one by one.  
He drove further and grabbed a goon out of his buggy and threw him away.  
"Touchdown!"  
Meanwhile, Vinnie was followed by two buggies. He looked at himself in his mirror and smiled. He suddenly hit the brakes and stretched his arms. Both goons slammed against his arms and Vinnie quickly drove further.  
"Don't you just hate it when you get stuck in traffic?", he said smiling, looking behind him. But suddenly, a rocket exploded right before his bike and he almost flew off. He fighted to keep his bike upright and stopped. He opened his visor and looked around.  
"Okay, who was that?", he growled and saw one goon smiling sheepishly. Vinnie narrowed his eyes and pushed a button on his bike.  
"Sharks away!" and a bomb in the form of a shark flew out. It crawled under the ground and approached the goon with only his fin sticking out. When it reached the buggy, it bit in the tire and exploded. The goon flew away.  
"AAOOWW! Toodles!", Vinnie cheered and waved at the goon.  
Carbine, Violet and Gaya were also busy fighting off the goons. They were fighting side by side and were doing a really good job.

In the meantime, Throttle had reached Rocket and when he tried to hit him, Rocket hit him twice as hard. Throttle flew off his bike and landed hard on the ground.  
"Umpf. Okay. You wanna play it that way? FINE."  
He jumped at his feet and activated his knuck knocks. Rocket walked over to him and Throttle ran forward and hit him with all his strength. But nothing happened. Rocket looked down and smiled. Throttle tried it again, but still, nothing happened. Rocket grabbed him and threw him away. While he was flying through the air, Throttle whistled for his bike. The bike immediately reacted and Throttle jumped on his seat. He landed and looked around to see where Rocket was, but the guy was already next to him and punched him again. Again, Throttle flew of his bike.  
"Okay, this is gonna be a little bit more difficult than I had thought", he moaned while standing up. He looked around and saw that the rest of the group were having their hands full with the goons.  
"Right. I'm on my own."  
He turned around and quickly ducked when he saw the big fist of Rocket before his eyes. Just in time. He whirled his tail around the legs from Rocket and tried to take him down. But again, it was no use.  
"Dammit, are you made of steal or something?", Throttle breathed. Rocket laughed.  
"No, just bones, flesh and a lot of muscles. And you are weak!"  
He grabbed Throttle into his big hand and squeezed.  
"I always wondered how it would be to just squeeze the life out off someone", Rocket laughed. Throttle tried to breath, but he couldn't. He moaned in pain when he felt the pressure on his bones. Not again. But right before he thought he was gonna lose consciousness, he suddenly fell on the ground. He coughed and gasped for air.  
"Throttle! You okay?"  
Vinnie's voice. Throttle looked up and saw Vinnie standing next to him on his bike. Throttle nodded, he still hadn't enough air to talk. Vinnie had shot Rocket in the back and because of that, he had let Throttle go. And it had made him angry. But that was good. When someone was angry, they were getting sloppy. Vinnie revved his bike and quickly drove away when he saw that Rocket wanted to hit him. Throttle slowly got up and whistled for his bike. Vinnie turned around and they both were looking at Rocket.  
"Okay, Vin. Let's get him", he said with a hoarse voice. Vinnie nodded and they both shot a rope that whirled around Rocket's legs. They each drove into another direction and the ropes tightened around Rocket. Rocket tried to escape, but that didn't worked. He fell on the ground. Suddenly, Modo flew through the air.  
"Did somebody ordered a bomb?", he asked and he shot two rockets at Rocket. When they exploded, Rocket flew away, right out of the stadium. Vinnie and Throttle quickly cut the ropes. They waved at Rocket.  
Throttle looked at Vinnie.  
"Thanks for the backup, bro."  
Vinnie smiled. "No problemo."  
They looked around the field. The goons were gone. Rocket was gone. And with that, peace returned in Quiqley field. The girls stopped next to the guys.  
"Well, we now know Mozz was indeed planning something", Violet said dryly.  
"Yeah, and apparently, he knows where we live", Carbine added.  
Violet froze. "Shit guys, Dani! And Rimfire!"  
Vinnie revved his bike and before anybody else could react, he flew into the scoreboard. He stopped with shrieking sounds and pulled of his helmet. He looked around him. The board was mess. And he immediately knew Dani and Rimfire were gone. Shit. Again, they had fell for the diversion trick. Vinnie sighed and slammed his fist on his bike. The bike beeped back, angry because of this hard treatment.  
"Oops, sorry, sweetheart", he said. The rest joined him.  
Modo stepped of his bike and searched the board.  
"Rimfire? Rimfire? Are you here?", he yelled desperately. But the only response was the silence.

Vinnie stepped of his bike and looked at the tiny refrigerator. Something was different. He stared at it.  
Ah. There was hanging a note on the door with a magnet. That was new. He grabbed the note.  
"Yo bro's, they left us a message", he said while opening the note.  
"It's from Mozz."  
Throttle joined him. "What does he want?"  
"He's got Dani and Rimfire. He wants us to come at his place tomorrow, on foot and unarmed…"  
Throttle shook his head. "Tomorrow? Nope, sorry, can't wait."  
"On foot? Nope, that's just isn't our style", Modo said with rolling eyes.  
"Unarmed? HAHAHA! What is this guy, a comedian?", Vinnie laughed and threw away the note.  
Throttle jumped at his bike. "Bro's. I think it's time to have that little chat with Mozz. You know, the one we were discussing before his entire goon platoon attacked us."  
Vinnie and Modo followed his example.  
"Great idea, bro", Modo said, while starting his engine.  
"AAAOOWWW, let's rock…", Vinnie started, but Throttle held up his hands.  
"Wow, wow, just one second Vin. Girls, I want you to stay here. When things go wrong, you can back us up. And maybe Dani and Rimfire escaped, so I want people here if they come back. Stay close to your radio."  
Violet wanted to protest, but didn't got the chance.  
"Alright, let's ROCK…", Throttle started and popped a wheelie.  
"... and RIDE!" and the bro's flew out of the window.

They drove full speed to the second building from Mozz, but when they came around the corner, they were greeted by lasers.  
"Oh come on, don't you have something better?", Vinnie asked while shooting back at the lasers which came out of the building. Suddenly, a siren went off and the bro's stopped. They stared at the building, well, at the fountain in front of the building actually. Because out of the fontain, a huge cannon rose into the air.  
"Well, there is an answer to your question, Vinnie", Throttle chuckled.  
Vinnie smacked himself against his forehead.  
"Yeah well, sorry I asked…"  
"Come on, bro's. Rimfire is inside. And Dani ma'am. They need our help", Modo said.  
"Okay, give it all you've got, fella's!", Throttle ordered.  
Vinnie laughed maniacally. "You have no idea how much I like it when you say that, bro!" and he sped away.  
He pulled back his handlebars and flew into the sky. The canon wanted to aim at him, but Vinnie was quicker. He pushed a button on his bike and two rockets flew out. Throttle and Modo did the same from the ground and the canon exploded.  
"AAAOOWW! Great teamwork, bro's!", Vinnie cheered when he landed. They drove up the building and smashed through the window.  
"The usual heroic entrance", Vinnie said smilling when they stopped with shrieking brakes.  
Mozz, at first startled by this violent entrance, looked at them with fuming eyes.  
"I thought I ordered you to come tomorrow, without bikes and NO WEAPONS!", he screamed the last part.  
Throttle shrugged. "Yeah, well. Too bad we don't take orders from anybody."  
Vinnie grabbed his gun. "Especially not from a stinkfish like you!", he growled.  
Modo raised his arm cannon.  
"Where are our friends?", he demanded, his eye glowing red.  
Mozz was furious. He quickly pushed a button on his desk.  
"Your friends, you ask? Well, too bad for you mice I just transported them to Plutark! That's what you get if you don't listen to me, you repulsive rodents!"  
Spit flew out of his mouth while he was talking, showing the evil man he actually was. Gone was the smiling and arrogance.  
Vinnie shook his head. The guy apparently had thought that they were actually gonna listen to him. Could you believe this? Man. Talk about being dumb. But then the words dawned on him.  
"What? PLUTARK?", he yelled, suddenly outraged. Mozz looked at him, disgust written on his ugly face.  
"Yes, PLUTARK! And that's where they are gonna stay. FOREVER! That's what you get when you kidnap my son! And for not listening to me. You are messing with the wrong FISH!"  
Throttle raised his gun, but Mozz didn't burge.  
"If you even think about killing me, think again! The moment something happens to me, your friends are DEAD! You can decide which faith is better for them. Imprisoned for the rest of their miserable lives or death. MAKE YOUR CHOICE!"  
Throttle narrowed his eyes and looked at Mozz.  
"How do we know you even tell us the truth? For all I know, this could all be just a big lie."  
Mozz laughed, not his usual self-righteous laugh, but an evil one. It echoed against the walls and it gave the mice almost goosebumps. Mozz grabbed a remote and turned an the TV that was hanging on the wall. They saw Rimfire and Dani guided by a Plutarkian guard in a prison. No doubt it was an Plutarkian prison.  
Shit.  
Modo roared in anger.  
"You slimy reek face, bring them back. NOW!" and he pointed his arm cannon at Mozz.  
"And why would I do that, my dear rodent?"  
"What do you want?", Throttle asked.  
"Me? I just want you to suffer. You really thought I would let you get away with kidnapping my boy? Oh no. That was a very wrong move. And now, you pay the price!" Mozz walked around his desk and sat down, his fingers against each other.  
"You want us, right?", Throttle insisted.  
Mozz shrugged. "Like I said; I want you to suffer. I know how it goes when you guys surrender. I can see you left the girls at home. They will come here and rescue you and then what? No. I think I just leave it this way."  
Vinnie exploded.  
"NO WAY! That is not even an option, cheesebreath! If you let us go, who says we don't go to Plutark and blow up that whole fucking planet? To make you feel what we felt when you blew up our whole planet!? Well? Thought about that?"  
Mozz jumped at his feet and pointed with his finger at Vinnie.  
"You have such a big mouth! And I am getting sick of it! You don't go to Plutark! If you do… well, then your friends are already dead by the time you arrive. We know everything that happens on our planet. And talk to me like that one more time and I will make sure your pretty lady will be on the next flight to Plutark!"  
Vinnie opened his mouth, his eyes fuming and his fur bristled, but Throttle stopped him.  
"Retreat. Now."  
Vinnie jerked his head into Throttle's direction. Retreat? Again, he opened his mouth but Throttle gave him such a murderous look that he obeyed.  
They turned around their bikes and Throttle looked one more time at Mozz.  
"You got us now, Mozz. Bravo. You won. Enjoy your victory. I sure hope you suffocate in it."  
And they flew outside. Vinnie was furious. As soon as they were out of sight from the building, he hit the brakes and grabbed Throttle's tail.  
"Now wait a minute, fearless leader. What was that all about? He WON? What the fuck? We are not just gonna let this happen and do NOTHING, right?"  
Throttle stepped off his bike and grabbed Vinnie by the shoulders.  
"Chill, Vin. Of course we are not gonna let this happen. We are gonna find a way to get them back, okay? But arguing with the guy, or well, fish, is not gonna help us any further. And no way he won. But let him think he did. Alright?"  
Vinnie calmed down a little bit.  
"Okay, okay. Tjeez, you sure got me there for a second. Dammit."  
Modo was awfully quiet. Throttle patted him on the back.  
"We are gonna get Rimfire back, bikers honour."  
Modo gave him a sad smile.  
"I just had him back, and now they already took him away from me. Again, I couldn't protect him."  
"This is not your fault, big fella. Come on, let's go back to the board. We have a trip to Plutark to plan."

Meanwhile, Mozz was gloating. They bought it. They actually really bought it. Well, he could be very convincing if he wanted to. He stepped into the elevator and looked into the mirror. He smiled at himself. The doors opened when he reached the lab and he stepped out. Megan looked up.  
"And? Did they bought it?"  
"Yes, they did. Now we only have to wait until they are on Plutark. And then, we are gonna destroy them, once and for all!"  
Megan laughed and looked at the cage in the corner of the room. Dani and Rimfire were looking back at her with fuming eyes. Dani grabbed the bars.  
"Leave them alone! You hear me!?", she yelled. But Mozz only smiled.  
"Oh no, dear girl. Haven't you learned? Karma really is a bitch… Muawhahahaaa!"

* * *

Sorry, little bit shorter episode, but man, I really needed to use this cliffhanger! Muawhaha!  
Please review! :)


	13. Chapter 13

Thanks for the review, Youkai55. Appreciate it.  
Rimfire is still weak from his time as prisoner. He tried to fight back, but wasn't strong enough. That made him an easy target.

* * *

 **Chapter thirteen**

"We are going to Plutark, right?", Vinnie asked, pacing through the scoreboard. Modo was sitting on couch, staring at the floor. The bro's had just told the girls what had happened.  
Throttle nodded. "Yeah, we are. Of course we are. But we need to make sure that Mozz is not gonna find out we are…"  
There was a silence. Everybody was deep in thoughts. Suddenly, Vinnie snapped with his fingers.  
"The human trafficking. We can use it to get to Plutark. Undercover as a prisoner."  
Throttle stared at him. "Eh, yeah… You just keep surprising me, Vincent. That really is a good idea!"  
Vinnie grinned arrogant. But on the inside he felt confused. He just didn't knew why everybody kept thinking he was some kind of dumb idiot. He did have brains you know. And he sure knew how to use them. He just didn't like it.  
"We need to use Deep Pocket. The guard told me they get orders from him. The guards have no idea who they are working for. If we somehow can find out how Deep Pocket is giving orders… So we can give the guards orders to grab three mice… and viola. We are prisoners. And Mozz is never gonna find out we are…", Vinnie was more talking to himself than to the rest, but they all were listening.  
Carbine smiled. "I am gonna call Jake again", and she climbed up to the roof.  
It didn't took long before she came back.  
"Alright, guys. Jake is looking into Deep Pocket. He is gonna call me back when he knows something. The plan is that he is gonna come here to Earth when Harley and Mikey are on Coelum. He is gonna return the ship to us. He will be here probably tomorrow in the evening."  
Throttle nodded. "That's great. We sure can use his help over here."  
They waited till Jake called back. Thankfully, that didn't took long.  
"Carbine? Jake here, over."  
Carbine grabbed the radio.  
"Jake! Tell us what you know, over."  
"I found out that Deep Pocket is giving orders by computer. All the guards have a phone where they receive the orders on. I can hack into the system and spread a message that there are three Martian Mice on Earth and that the big boss wants them prisoned. We give them a place and time and when they grab you, you guys are in, over."  
"Great idea Jake. Let's get this plan in motion when you are here, okay? We will see you tomorrow, over."  
"Alright, see you tomorrow. Over and out."  
"Tomorrow? Helloooo? We can't wait that long!", Vinnie whined. How was he gonna survive that?  
Carbine sighed. "We don't have a choice, Vinnie. We need to think this through. And we need Jake for it."  
"And what was that with 'three Martian Mice'? What about us?", Violet asked worried.  
Throttle looked at her. "You girls are gonna stay here."  
"What? No way! What if you guys don't come back?", Violet yelled, suddenly overwhelmed by panic because of the thought of losing Vinnie.  
Vinnie swung an arm around her shoulders.  
"Don't sweat it, babe. We will be back. We always do. But this is hero work for us macho muscled mice. No girls allowed, sorry."  
Violet looked annoyed. "Right. Silly me. Like we can't take care of ourselves… Oh, what a joy to live in the shadows of the Biker Mice From Mars..."  
Throttle sighed. "We know you can take care of yourselves. But we need you here. In case something goes wrong. We are not gonna leave Earth unsupervised."  
Violet gritted her teeth, but Vinnie pulled her in his arms.  
"My sexy, feisty wife. It will be alright. Nobody can tear us apart. Not even death…" Vinnie frowned. "Okay, that sounded way too dramatic and very cheesy, but hey, you get the point, right?"  
Violet buried her face against his chest and smelled up his scent. "Yeah, yeah. I know. I just don't want to lose you…"  
Vinnie cupped her head in his hands. "You are not gonna lose me. Pinky swear", and he offered his pink.  
Violet grabbed it with her pink.  
"Fine. Dealio."  
Modo was still awfully quiet. Gaya was sitting next to him.  
"Modo, sweetie. It will be okay. You will get him back. I just know you do."  
Modo nodded. "You bet I will."

Finally, after a long wait, Jake arrived at the board. They all greeted him warmly and they sat down in the small kitchen to talk about the mission.  
Throttle took the word.  
"So, when we are caught, we keep a low profile. We use our cover to find out more about this human trafficking. Once we are there, we will cooperate until we know where they are keeping Dani and Rimfire. Their lives are at risk if we make a mistake."  
Jake nodded. "I brought a small computer with me, you can hide it in your shoe or something. But that gives us the chance to communicate. So if you need us, or there is something that has to be done, you can reach us."  
"Great!"  
Vinnie rubbed his chin. "And what about the bikes?"  
There was a short silence.  
"We can't take them with us. No, this is gonna be a mission on foot", Throttle answered, knowing this was not the answer Vinnie was hoping for.  
"Ah man…", Vinnie pouted. Modo didn't liked it either. But Throttle was right.  
"Maybe we can find a way to get the bikes to Plutark when you guys are already there. But time will tell", Jake said.  
"Tomorrow, we are gonna start phase one of the plan, and that is getting caught. The guards don't know who we are, so we are gonna keep it that way. No fighting. No explosives. No, let's pretend we are just three dumb and weak mice who are absolutely no threat. We don't want that Mozz is gonna find out about this."  
"Dumb? Weak? And absolutely no threat? Ugh, come on! Who do you think I am?", Vinnie protested. Throttle pointed his finger at him.  
"Listen, Vincent. This time you are gonna do as I say. So, no fights, no heroic stunts and no wiseguy talk. Otherwise, you blow up our cover. You think you can do that?"  
Vinnie looked like he was gonna explode, but he managed to stay calm.  
"Okay. Okay. No problem..."  
"Good. You will get your chance, bikers honour."  
Vinnie nodded.  
Modo took the word. "And what about weapons? Can we take them with us?"  
Throttle shook his head. "Nope. That is too risky."  
Vinnie stared at him. "So, you're telling me that we are gonna go to the home of our biggest enemy, without bikes and weapons? What makes the chance that they are gonna kill us even bigger?"  
"Eh, yeah, that's basically it..."  
Vinnie smiled. "Cool!"  
Modo raised his bionic arm. "We always have this one. So, we are not completely helpless."  
"I say, let's go to sleep. We need to be on our best tomorrow", Throttle suggested. Everybody agreed.  
Vinnie was looking at Violet. This was gonna be their last night together for a while. And they had absolutely no privacy, since everybody was sleeping in the same room. Hmmm… He decided to play along, and when everybody was asleep, he would take her to the roof. Yep. See, he sure knew how to use his brains.

After a while, everybody was lying in bed and sleeping like babies. Vinnie grabbed Violet and dragged her out of his hammock. She wanted to protest, but Vinnie quickly shook his head and pointed at the others. They climbed up to the roof.  
"So, a little bit more privacy..", Vinnie said softly with a low voice while pulling her in his arms. Violet looked up at him and bit on her lower lip.  
"Great idea, hotshot", she said, also with a low voice. Vinnie growled and pressed his lips on hers. She kissed him back eagerly. Normally, he was in charge when they had sex. Now it was her turn. She ripped his clothes off and pushed him on the ground. She climbed on top of him and quickly took off her own clothes. She looked into his ruby, red eyes and he looked appreciatively back at her.  
"This time, I am the boss", Violet whispered in his ear and bit softly in his neck.  
Vinnie moaned softly. "Okay, fine by me. Show me what you got, pretty lady", he whispered back.  
And that was all the encouragement Violet needed.

After, Violet was lying in Vinnie's arm on the ground and they were looking at the stars. Vinnie had a satisfied smile on his face.  
"Really, sweetheart. I like it when you are so bossy. A real turn on…" and he winked at her. She smiled too, but then it vanished.  
"I'm scared, Vin. Scared that you don't come back... ", she whispered. Vinnie lifted his head and looked at her.  
"Vi. My sweet Vi. I will come back. You know I will."  
"But what if you don't?", she asked softly, suddenly tears in her eyes. Vinnie sat upright and pulled her in his arms.  
"I don't want to think about that, okay? I will come back. You have to believe me." He kissed her. Violet wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back.  
"Round two?", he breathed between kisses. She giggled. "Bring it on."

When they came back, they saw that Throttle and Carbine also were gone. Vinnie smiled.  
"Looks like they had the same idea…" Violet giggled. She looked at Modo and Gaya, who were asleep. Jake was sleeping on the couch. Vinnie climbed in his hammock and dragged Violet next to him. It didn't took long before they fell asleep, safely in each other's arms. Violet woke up when she heard noises and peaked between her eyelids. She saw Throttle and Carbine climbing in bed, giggling like two teenagers. She smiled and quickly fell asleep again.

The next morning, everybody acted like they all had a long night sleep. Jake, Modo and Gaya had no idea. Vinnie and Violet kept smiling. Throttle looked at Vinnie, who winked at him. He shook his head, but his lips curled into a smile. But then he grew serious again. They had work to do.  
"Carbine and I have found some clothes we can wear, bro's. They don't need to know we are Freedom Fighters and we need to look as harmless as possible."  
Carbine grabbed a bag full with clothes. Vinnie quickly grabbed the most though looking pants and shirt. But it was still… boring…and so not cool... They changed into it.  
Vinnie looked at Throttle, who was wearing a khaki pants with white sneakers under it. On top, a t-shirt with a wide sweater, to cover his muscles. His bandana was also gone, just like his knuck knocks. He even removed his earring. He now looked more like a teacher then their badass, fearless leader.  
Then his gaze fell on Modo. He was wearing a boring jeans and black sneakers. On top of it, a wide shirt with a blazer. It not only covered up his muscles, but also his bionic arm, wich was good. Since he couldn't remove is eyepad, he wore normal glasses over it to draw the attention away from it. He now looked like a writer from those boring literature books.  
Then, Vinnie looked at himself. He wore a black pants with black sneakers. He found a wide shirt with long sleeves, so his perfectly studly bod was completely covered. He kept his bandana on, but Throttle shook his head. He sighed. He took of the bandana and his gloves. Man. Talk about your casual clothing… He felt like he was an housefather who stayed home to take care of the kids while mom was making career. Yeah well, except for his mask. But no fucking way he was gonna take that off.  
He looked helplessly at Violet, who couldn't stop laughing.  
"Sweetheart… Stop laughing. This is not funny, alright?" Carbine and Gaya soon joined Violet. The bro's looked at each other.  
"Yeah well… I understand why they are laughing. We look like idiots", Modo sighed.  
Throttle shrugged. "Most importantly, we look completely innocent."  
Jake grabbed a small device and gave it to Throttle. He quickly explained how it worked. Throttle put it in his pocket.  
"Alright, are you guys ready?", Jake asked. The bro's nodded. The girls, finally calmed down, jumped on their bikes. They were gonna bring the boys to the location they were gonna use to get caught.  
"I will give you a signal when we leave them there. Then you can send the message", Carbine said, looking at Jake. He nodded and put up his thumb.  
"Good luck, guys. We'll keep in touch!"  
Violet popped a wheelie with Vinnie behind her. He quickly grabbed her to avoid he was gonna fell off. Violet giggled. "Okay, girls… Let's rock…!"  
"...and RIDE!"  
They arrived at the building and after a quick goodbye, the girls drove back to the board. Vinnie looked around him and sat down on a box. Modo and Throttle joined him.  
"I must say, this is one weird mission", Modo sighed. The others agreed.  
Meanwhile, every guard who was working for Deep Pocket, received a message on their phone.

 _"Three Martian Mice spotted at the empty McDonalds building. Grab them."_

The mice didn't have to wait long. One hour after they were dropped here by the girls, they were suddenly surrounded by guards.  
"DON'T MOVE AND RAISE YOUR HANDS!", one of them yelled.  
"Well, here goes nothing…", Throttle sighed and they raised their hands. Vinnie was biting on his tongue to not say something cool or stupid. The guards grabbed them and cuffed their hands. Throttle nodded at his bro's. Time to play the game along.  
"Please, let us go!", he pleaded at the guard who took him.  
"Why are you doing this?", Modo asked desperately.  
The guards laughed. "Martian Mice are not welcome on this planet. You are coming with us."  
Vinnie swallowed and bit his tongue again. But then, he set on his most desperate face.  
"Please, let us go! We will not tell anybody! Puhleaaasseeee…", he almost cried. One guard smacked him against the back of his head.  
"Shut up, you pussy. Now, come on."  
Pussy? PUSSY? Vinnie gritted his teeth, but Throttle gave him a warning look. The message was loud and clear. Play along. Vinnie fighted the urge to hit the guard right in the face with his tail and he took a deep breath. He lowered his eyes and swallowed. The guard laughed and dragged Vinnie with him. The others took Throttle and Modo and they were thrown into a truck. The doors closed with a bang and they were alone. For now.  
Vinnie let out his breath. "Pussy. Right. He has no idea who he is talking to...", he mumbled. Throttle and Modo chuckled. This probably was gonna be one of the most difficult missions for Vinnie.  
"Well, at least phase one has succeeded. Nice work, bro's", Throttle said.  
"I wonder where they are gonna bring us", Modo wondered.  
"Well, it can't be a nice place, right?", Vinnie answered.  
After a short drive, the truck stopped and the doors opened. The mice squeezed their eyes against the bright light. The guards dragged them out of the truck and pushed them into a building. It was the same building where Throttle and Vinnie had found Rimfire. They got chained against the wall. Vinnie looked around him. They were not alone. There were at least thirty people with them. They were all looking curiously at the mice, but they said nothing. They were actually not in a really bad state. Probably new flesh. Guards with heavy guns were watching over them. After a hour, Vinnie was already bored. The tip of his tail started to twitch. Man. How long was this gonna take? Throttle looked at him and smiled encouragingly. Vinnie relaxed a little bit. But still…  
Finally, when it was night, something happened. A group of guards grabbed the prisoners and tied them together. One guard grabbed Vinnie by his ear to make him stand up.  
"Autsj! Easy on…", but then he realized he needed to play along. Dammit. This was humiliating.  
"Please don't hurt me", he begged. Throttle and Modo were also forced to stand up.  
"Come on, you stinkin' rats. On your feet." Modo jumped at his feet, his eye glowing red. Rat? But then he saw Throttle looking at him. Right. He lowered his head and did what him was told. They were guided to another truck and got pushed inside, along with the other prisoners. When the doors were closed, Vinnie clenched his fist and slammed on the floor from the truck, as far as his chains allowed him. And again. Throttle's tail whirled around his arm to stop him.  
"Easy, Vincent." Vinnie was breathing heavily. This was not his thing. Being treated like he was some kind of weak idiot. Dammit. He was Vincent van Wham. The baddest mamma jammer from Mars. He looked up and saw that everybody was watching him with big eyes. He smiled sheepishly. Modo was also breathing heavily in anger, his eye glowing red. "Rat. I ain't no rat. I can't wait till I get my hands on them…"  
Throttle sighed. "Bro's. Come on. This is just one big game. Chill. We will get them. Later."  
Vinnie and Modo shared looks. They knew Throttle was right. But it was hard to play the helpless roll when you were a tough, badass soldier like they were.  
One man, who was sitting next to Vinnie, looked at him curiously.  
"Excuse me for asking, but what are you?", he asked hesitant. Throttle took the word.  
"We are just three Martian Mice who were on the wrong place at the wrong time. Prisoners. Like you guys are."  
The guy stared at him. "Mar… Martian Mice? What the…"  
Throttle shrugged and ignored him. No need to make friends. They needed to focus on the mission.  
Suddenly, the truck stopped and the doors opened. The mice jumped out of the truck and looked around. They were on the same dock where Vinnie and Violet had found the two guards. There was huge boat lying in the water. The guards pushed them aboard and guided them lower deck. They were thrown into a cell with the others and the door closed with a bang. "Enjoy the trip", one of them said with a evil smile. Nobody said something back.  
Quickly after that, the boat left. After a half hour, Vinnie was getting more and more green under his fur. Apparently, he handled sailing the same way as amusement rides (A/N: see We're going to Cheesyland). Throttle shared a worried look with Modo.  
"You okay, Vin?", he asked. Vinnie shook his head, but said nothing. He was scared that if he was gonna open his mouth, he would puke his breakfast right over Throttle. He was wiggling on his seat and tried to find a position to make him feel less sick, but it didn't worked.  
"I think I am gonna be sick, bro's…", he said weakly. God, he felt like shit. He closed his eyes and tried to think of something happy. Violet. He smiled. But his stomach didn't let himself be distracted.  
"Ah man, are we there yet?", he moaned.  
Throttle shrugged. "I don't know, bro. Let's hope we are." Modo used his tail to pat Vinnie on the back, since his hands were cuffed.  
"Try to relax, little bro."  
The other people stared at them. Vinnie narrowed his eyes.  
"What? What are you looking at?!", he snapped at them. They all quickly lowered their eyes.  
After one hell of a trip, the boat stopped moving. The guards came inside and when they were outside, Vinnie took a few deep breaths. Ah. Fresh air. He immediately felt better. He looked around him. They were on a small island in Lake Michigan. He didn't knew Lake Michigan had islands. But it was probably build by the Plutarkians. He saw a huge transporter. Throttle saw it too. He quickly looked around him, but nobody was paying attention to them. He grabbed his mini computer and quickly saved the coordinates from the transporter. This could be a way to get the bikes to Plutark. The guards pushed them into the huge transporter and waved.  
"Bye bye!", and one of them pushed a button.

* * *

Please review! :)


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter fourteen**

A flash of light and the smell hit them. The mice opened their eyes and saw the familiar sight of Plutark. They had been here before. But back then, they had their helmets to protect them against the smell. The other people were also having difficulties breathing. A group of Plutarkian guards guided them to a huge train and pushed them inside. The doors closed. Throttle, Modo and Vinnie were sitting in the corner.  
"Okay, now what? We are on Plutark. When are we gonna whip some tail?", Vinnie asked impatient.  
"We are gonna keep a low profile until we know where they are holding Dani and Rimfire. If they discover us, they are gonna kill them. We need to get them out before they even realize we are here", Throttle said.  
Modo nodded. "So, we keep playing along till then?"  
"Yeah, big fella. It's the safest option for Dani and Rimfire."  
Vinnie gritted his teeth. "Ah man, this sucks…"  
"Listen, I saved the coordinates from the transporter. We can use it to get our bikes and weapons here. But since timing is everything, we have to wait for now. Let's see where they are gonna take us and what we need to do. But keep your eyes and ears open, bro's. We need information. The more, the better."  
Vinnie nodded and looked around him. He saw the guy who had asked what they were back on Earth was still staring at them.  
"What?", he asked, a little bit sharper than he intended.  
The guys immediately lowered his eyes. But then, he lifted his head again.  
"I hear you talking about bikes, weapons, information… Are you some kind of soldiers?"  
Vinnie looked at Throttle. The tan furred mouse sighed.  
"Listen, citizen. The less you know, the safer."  
But the man didn't stop. "If you guys can fight, why not help us escape?"  
"No can do. We can't fight. We never said we could. We are just as helpless as you."  
The guys snorted. "Right. Listen, I have kids and a wife at home. They are probably losing their minds right now. I really need to go back…"  
Vinnie had enough. He crawled towards the guy and grabbed him by his coat.  
"Now you listen. Leave us alone. We can't help you. Got that?"  
The guy stared at Vinnie's face, his mask, his nose, his buck teeth… But when he looked into his eyes, he shivered. He raised his hands.  
"Okay, okay. Please, don't hurt me."  
Vinnie let him go and went back to his bro's. Throttle shook his head.  
"Very subtle, Vinnie. Very you."  
Vinnie shrugged. "Yeah well, I figured if he is scared, he is gonna leave us alone."  
Modo chuckled. "Well, at least it worked. For now."  
But then, the train stopped. The doors flew open. The mice looked outside and saw that they were in the capital of Plutark. The train had stopped right before a huge prison. A Plutarkian guard grabbed the mice, while shaking his head.  
"I thought we killed all the Martian Mice along with their planet", he said to his colleague.  
The latter shrugged. "They sometimes pop up out of nowhere. They are vermin after all. Very hard to exterminate."  
The mice shared a quick look. Best was to keep their mouth shut.  
The guard looked at them. "Well, they look like they even can't kill a fly. Apparently, the fighters are dead and what's left? The weak. Well, good for us."  
Vinnie shook his head. Man, he couldn't wait till he was free again. To let them see who he really was. But at least, their cover worked. Well, no surprise there with these hideous outfits.

They were thrown into a cell with just the three of them and the cuffs were removed. The door shut behind the guard and the mice were alone.  
Vinnie was rubbing his wrists while looking around. "What? Not even a mint on our pillow?", he asked.  
The cell was nothing more than a room with three beds and a toilet. Well, at least they had a toilet.  
"You know, I just wish I could see their faces if they find out they are holding three most wanted mice in their prison without knowing it", Modo chuckled.  
Throttle smiled too. "Yeah. Well, let's hope we are gonna get that chance."  
They soon discovered the prisoners were divided over very different tasks. In the kitchen, the laundry, as servant for the high ranked officers… But the most of them needed to work in the field. With other words; processing the reinforcements the Plutarkians had stole from other planets. And that was hard work.  
The mice had one day to adjust at their surrounding when a Plutarkian General came into their cell. He had heard that they had caught some Martian Mice and he wanted one as his servant. Throttle, Modo and Vinnie were sitting on their bed, looking at the General. The big, ugly fish looked back at them and his gaze stopped on Vinnie.  
"Ah! Such a pretty boy. I want him", he ordered at the guard. Vinnie sighed and looked pleading at Throttle and Modo. Throttle gave him a small nod. Okay. Still playing along it is… The guard grabbed Vinnie and they took him to the room from the General. The guard bowed and left. The big fish turned around to see Vinnie.  
"My name is General Hercules…" Vinnie froze. The guy who had gave the order to blow up whole Mars. The guy who Buddy worked for. It took him all his strength to remain where he was and to keep his face in check.  
"You are my servant now. You will do everything I want you to do. Otherwise, you will be punished. If you don't believe, well… try me."  
Vinnie raised one eyebrow. Oh, he did believe him. He had seen what their punishments were.  
"Do you have a name?", the fish asked. Vinnie opened his mouth, but then closed it. Maybe for the best if he gave up a false name.  
"The name is Finn, sir. At your service…"  
His father's name. Great. But it was the first thing that came into his head.  
"Alright Finn. You can start with cleaning my bathroom. With a toothbrush…" and he pushed Vinnie to a door. When Vinnie opened it, he almost fainted. That god awful smell… He stared at the bathroom. No way. No fucking way. He tensed his muscles to turn around, but then he froze. He needed to keep a low profile. For Dani. For Rimfire. Dammit. He looked at Hercules and took the toothbrush from him. He smiled his most charming smile.  
"I will get it done, sir. No problem!" Of course it worked. It always worked. Hercules smiled back.  
"Very good. You do have a pretty face, haven't you? Well, for a mouse…" he turned around and left the room. Vinnie slowly turned around to face the disgusting bathroom. He sure hoped that Throttle and Modo were having a little bit more luck.

Well, unfortunately they weren't. They were forced to work in the field and in the burning sun with the awful smell, it was hard work. They couldn't take off their clothes since they needed to stay off the radar. So with their fur and the clothing, they were soaked in sweat in just a few minutes. They were ordered to move large rocks on trucks. Throttle threw a big rock on a truck and wiped off his face.  
"Man, this sure isn't a nice holiday", he sighed.  
Modo grabbed the next rock. "Nope. Hope that Vinnie is having more luck."  
"Well, let's hope we gonna see him tonight."  
Thankfully, they got a little break after a few hours. The guards gave them a small bottle of water. Throttle drank it empty in one sip and looked at the guards.  
"That's all we get?", he asked annoyed. The guard laughed.  
"Yeah. Back to work. NOW!" Throttle wanted to punch him right in the face, but he forced himself to turn around and go back to work.  
After a long day, they were guided back to their cell. Vinnie was already there. He looked at them with agony on his face.  
"Don't ask", he said as soon the door closed behind his bro's. Throttle and Modo dropped on their bed.  
"Well, our day wasn't a party either", Modo sighed. Throttle stared at the ceiling and then looked at Vinnie.  
"Did you find something today?", he asked at the white furred mouse.  
Vinnie shook his head. "Negative. Well, I did found out something about Plutarkian hygiene. And I can assure you, they don't have any…"  
Throttle smiled. Poor Vinnie.  
"Oh but that nice, handsome General who wanted me as his personal cleaner, is named Hercules. Does that ring a bell, bro's?"  
Throttle jerked upright. "Hercules? The guy Flint worked for?"  
"The one and only. He is a creep. He keeps telling me how handsome I am…" Vinnie wrinkled his nose.  
"So? I don't see the problem here. I never hear you complain when someone is boosting your ego", Modo said, stretching his sore muscles.  
"Hardee har har. Very funny. It's very creepy to hear a giant, ugly and smelly Plutarkian telling you how handsome you are. That is not boosting my ego. No, that is boosting my anxiety."  
"But it's a good thing you are close to someone this high in the ranks. Try to stay close to him. Maybe you can find something about Dani and Rimfire. You got a bigger chance than us. We are just moving rocks…", Throttle said tiredly.  
Vinnie buried his face in his pillow. "Yeah well…"  
The guards shoved a plate with food into their cell. Vinnie slowly got up, looked at the food and fell on the bed again. Modo and Throttle decided to eat it, no matter how disgusting it was. They sure needed it after such a hard day of work.  
"Bro's? How long are we gonna do this? I am so done…", they heard Vinnie's voice, but it was muted since he was still burying his face into his pillow.

Suddenly, the cell door opened. A guard came in.  
"The General needs you", he said, pointing at Vinnie. Vinnie took a deep breath to avoid he would throw the pillow at the guards head and looked up.  
"Why? I was done for today, his words."  
"You are not in the position to ask questions, rodent. Come on, move."  
Vinnie sighed and slipped off his bed. He waved at his bro's and the guard grabbed him and cuffed him. The door closed with a bang.  
In the room from General Hercules, the guard removed Vinnie's cuff's and left the room. Hercules was standing at the window and slowly turned around.  
"You needed me?", Vinnie asked, boiling on the inside. He hated to play this role. To be submissive. But he put on his most charming smile. Hercules smiled back.  
"Yes. My back is killing me. I must have pulled a muscle or something. So, I really need a massage…"  
Vinnie's eyes widened and his blood turned cold.  
"A… a massage, sir?", he stuttered. Hercules walked closer to him and looked him in the eye. Vinnie could see the threat in his eyes.  
"Yes, a massage. Is that a problem?", he asked with a dangerously low voice.  
Vinnie suddenly thought about his time as a prisoner and what Buddy had done to him. Could he really survive that again? Because he knew that if he would say that it was indeed a huge problem that he needed to fucking massage the back of the most gross and smelly race of the universe, he was gonna be tortured. Maybe even killed. But even death sounded as music to his oversized ears compared to rubbing the back from a Plutarkian... Violet. He promised to come back. So he had no other choice than to play along. But he vowed to himself that if it was finally tail whippin' time, he was gonna come back and kill this hideous creature personally. He took a deep breath.  
"No, sir. That is no problem at all…"  
Hercules smiled.  
"Good." He took off his clothes and laid down on the bed.  
"There is some oil in the bathroom. Go get it and come over here immediately."  
Vinnie forced himself to turn around and walked into the bathroom. He looked at himself in the mirror.  
"You can do this, Vin. Come on. It's just a slimy, smelly, probably filled with pimples Plutarkian back... Ugh. Who am I kidding. This sucks, big time."  
He grabbed the oil and slowly walked to the bed.  
"Come on, what are you waiting for? No need to be shy…", Hercules grinned and he winked at Vinnie.  
The white furred mouse almost dropped the bottle of oil, but managed to catch it before it fell on the ground. Hercules saw it happen. Hmmm… great reflexes. Maybe this mouse had more in him than he showed. He decided to keep a close eye on him.  
"I am not gonna say it one more time…"  
Vinnie sighed and put the oil on the back from Hercules. The green skin looked like leather and the smell… Vinnie almost threw up, but managed to keep it in inside. He slowly reached out his hands…

Throttle and Modo were sleeping when Vinnie was brought back to their cell. Vinnie was glad he didn't have to face his bro's after this humiliating experience. But when he climbed in his bed, Throttle turned around to face him.  
"You okay, bro? What did he want?"  
Vinnie didn't respond.  
"Vinnie?"  
Silence.  
"Vincent! What happened?", Throttle demanded, worried about the fact his bro was this quiet. He got up from his bed and walked over to Vinnie.  
Vinnie turned around with his back to Throttle.  
"He needed a back rub... ", Vinnie whispered with red cheeks.  
"I can't hear a word you are saying, Vinnie."  
"He needed a back rub…", Vinnie repeated, a little bit louder this time.  
Throttle froze. Ah. That explained Vinnie's behaviour. Poor guy. Vinnie turned around to face him.  
"Listen bro, I am totally with ya with this plan and I know we need to keep a low profile, but honestly? I really don't know how long I am gonna take this. The guy flirts with me, for fuck sake. He is crazy! What if he wants to touch me or something like that? The guy is a creep. Gross, disgusting…" Vinnie babbled.  
Throttle held up his hand.  
"Easy Vin. You are never gonna let him touch you. I know you. And I don't want you to let that happen. We need to find out quickly where they hide Dani and Rimfire, since I didn't saw them in the prison. Which is weird, by the way…" Throttle rubbed his chin.  
"Yeah, well, I would never have thought I would give a Plutarkian a back rub. It proves that I am willing to go far for this mission. But there are limits. The moment he touches me, he is dead. You hear me?"  
"Yeah, I hear you. Go to sleep. Tomorrow, we are going on a investigation, alright?"  
"Night bro."  
"Night, Vinnie."

The next day, Vinnie was busy with cleaning up the room from Hercules. The big fish was working at his desk and paid no attention to Vinnie. Thank god. Suddenly, the vidcom came to life. Vinnie quickly pretended like he needed to clean something close to the desk and peaked at the screen. His heart stopped.  
"Mozz! How are you doing on Earth?", Hercules asked when the image of Mozz appeared on the screen.  
"Wonderful, sir! Business is going good, like always."  
"No more troubles with vermin?"  
"No, not at all, sir…", Mozz said, smiling.  
Vinnie pricked his ears to make sure he was not gonna miss a word from this conversation. But he needed to avoid that Mozz would see him. He pretended to be busy with cleaning the window close to the desk.  
"Good. You finally managed to kill them? To do what Limburger couldn't?", Hercules asked while studying his nails.  
"Eh, no… But…"  
Hercules didn't let him finish.  
"WHAT? You are saying those repulsive rodents are still on Earth? ALIVE?" Spit splattered against the screen.  
Mozz held up his hands.  
"Please, sir. Let me finish. I begin to understand why Limburger had such a hard time in destroying them. I really hate to say this, but they are smart. And good fighters."  
Vinnie smiled at himself. They were the best. Better than the best.  
"But I managed to grab two of their group. One human and one mouse. Of course, they came to me to rescue them. But I told them I have sent them to Plutark."  
"But you didn't send them to Plutark", Hercules said annoyed.  
Vinnie froze. What?! It cost him all his strength to continue his work.  
"No, that is the good part! I told the mice that if they were going to Plutark, I would kill their friends. So, I let them go. But their hands are tied."  
Hercules snorted.  
"Right. You do know that they are coming to Plutark, even if you told them not to? Maybe they are already here. Are you really that dumb?"  
"Of course they are coming to Plutark, sir. But that's the whole point. Three mice on the home planet of their biggest enemy. No way they are gonna survive that! And as long I have their friends in custody, we have the winning cards! Once they arrive at Plutark, we'll grab them and kill them in front of the whole planet."  
"Hmmm.. I am starting to understand what you mean… And you are certain they are still on Earth?"  
"Yes, sir. Their bikes are parked by their hangout. No way they would leave without their bikes. So, we're good for now."  
"And why didn't you tell me this sooner?"  
"I was busy, sir. My apologies. But since the mice are still on Earth, I thought it could wait for now."  
"Fine. But from now on, keep me posted. I want to know everything about this, you hear me?"  
"Yes, sir. I will, sir."  
"Good. Now get back to work!" And Hercules shut down the vidcom. He looked at Vinnie and smiled evil.  
"Looks like you're fellow mice are in big trouble. That's what you get when you stand up against us. Thankfully for you, you know how to cooperate. But see this as a lesson."  
Vinnie nodded and smiled. He felt a muscle twitching in his face.  
"Yes, sir."

He turned around to continue his cleaningwork, but his heart was pounding in his chest. What a fucking mess. Mozz deceived them. And now they were stuck on this planet and Dani and Rimfire weren't even here. So far their good plan. His hands were shaking in anger. His tail was lashing through the air. He almost couldn't control himself. But he had no choice. If he blew up their cover now, they were all dead, including the girls, Rimfire and Dani. So, he managed to stay calm. Well, on the outside. His blood was boiling. He gritted his teeth. Dammit. He needed to talk to his bro's. This was gonna be a very loooong day.  
Vinnie slowly worked his way to the bathroom, his thoughts miles away. Suddenly, the door opened and someone walked in. Vinnie glanced out of the corners of his eyes and froze again. Mace! Shit. He quickly sneaked into the bathroom. If Mace would see him, he would immediately recognize him.  
Vinnie tried to listen to their conversation, but he couldn't hear it. Suddenly, a guard was standing in the door opening.  
"You are going back to your cell."  
The guard cuffed Vinnie and dragged him out of the room. Vinnie held his head low, in the hope Mace wouldn't see his face. Apparently, Hercules didn't want him to hear what he and Mace were gonna talk about.  
The guard pushed him inside of his cell and removed the cuffs. He pushed Vinnie again and the white furred mouse stumbled and fell on the ground. He wanted to say something, but bit his tongue. The guard laughed and walked out. He closed the door.  
Vinnie jumped at his feet and clenched his fists. He hit the wall once, twice… He kept hitting against the wall, over and over again. His knuckles started to bleed and the pain was unbearable, but he needed to blow off some steam. He wanted to scream, but he managed to keep it inside. He slowly calmed down a little bit, but it was not enough. He stared at his hands. The fur on his knuckles was gone, so was his skin. Blood was slowly dripping on the ground. He grabbed his blanket and tore off a piece. He tied the fabric around his hands and slowly sat down on the ground. He grabbed his head and breathed heavily. He was gonna lose his mind. He really needed to calm down. But how? He let his mind wander to Violet. His beautiful wife. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths.  
He sure hoped he was gonna hold it together until his bro's were back...


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter fifteen**

Meanwhile, Throttle and Modo were working hard in the field. They worked with two other prisoners, which were human. They had introduced themselves as Sven and Otto.  
"So, what is your story? How did you end up here?", Throttle asked while grabbing another rock.  
"We are brothers", Sven said. "We have a business in Chicago. A guy named Mozz wanted to buy it, but we refused. Well, apparently he doesn't like it when someone is saying no to him. The next day, we were taken and brought to this place. That was three weeks ago."  
"Since then we are working here in the field", Otto added.  
"And you are sure it was Mozz who was behind this?", Modo asked.  
Sven nodded. "Who else?" He gave a clap against the truck to sign it was full and it drove away. Quickly after that, an empty truck took his place.  
Otto looked suspicious at the mice. "And what is your story? Obviously, you are not human…"  
Throttle shook his head. Captain obvious.  
"We are mice. From Mars."  
Sven and Otto shared a look. Then they shrugged. Since they got stuck on a planet with huge, walking and talking fish, they were not that easily surprised anymore.  
"So, you guys know what they are up to on Earth? We heard some rumors there are prisoners which are send back to Earth to work on a project... ", Throttle asked nonchalant.  
"Yeah, a few days ago, I talked to a man who just came back from Earth. They are building something. Some kind of drill."  
Modo looked at Throttle. "A drill?"  
Otto shrugged. "Yeah, that's what the guy told me."  
"And where are they building it?"  
"He didn't know. But it was close to Chicago."  
Suddenly, a whip slammed on Otto's back. He fell on the ground, moaning in pain.  
"NO TALKING!"  
Throttle looked up and saw a guard standing nearby them. He clenched his fists, but continued his work. The rest of the day they worked in silence.  
Finally, they were brought back to their cell. They found Vinnie on the floor, holding his head with his eyes closed. Throttle noticed the fabric around his hands. He walked over to him and lay a hand on his shoulder. Vinnie jumped up with a startled look on his face.  
"Bro's! Finally! Took you long enough..."  
Throttle studied his face. Something was very wrong.  
"What happened to you hands?", he asked, but Vinnie shook his head.  
"Not important. Listen. You are not gonna believe this." And he told the whole story.  
Throttle and Modo slowly sat down on their bed.  
"No way… You are telling me that Dani and Rimfire are on Earth?", Modo asked slowly, his eye glowing red. Vinnie nodded.  
Throttle sighed and shook his head. Dammit. That fish had played it smart. Really smart. Well, it did explain why they hadn't see them in the prison.  
Vinnie was pacing through the cell.  
"Oh and another thing. I saw Mace. He is here. That fucking traitor is working for the Plutarkians and he is here, on Plutark. So that confirms Deep Pocket is indeed Mace."  
Modo jumped at his feet. "WHAT?", he roared. Throttle also jumped up and grabbed Modo.  
"Easy, big fella. We don't want to blow our cover now, without a plan. So, no shouting, okay?"  
Modo took a deep breath. "Yeah, yeah. I know."  
"Mace didn't see you, Vinnie?", Throttle asked at the hyper mouse. The latter shook his head.  
"No, I was brought back to my cell, guess they didn't want that I would hear where they were talking about."

Throttle made a decision.  
"Bro's. It's tail whippin' time. But we need a plan. First, we need to make sure Dani and Rimfire are safe. If we are gonna cause trouble here and Mozz hears about it, they are dead. That means, the girls and Jake need to free them."  
"Once they are save, we have a free ticket to show them who we really are", Vinnie growled, his fur bristled. Oh he was ready, alright.  
"Yes. But we need our bikes. And weapons."  
"Why not escaping and go back to Earth?", Modo asked.  
Vinnie swirled around. "Because something big, smelly and ugly is waiting to be killed by me, myself and I. And what about Mace? You really thought I was gonna let him go this time? No, I already told you; Mace his future has Vinnie in it. And now I finally have the chance to fulfill that promise!"  
Modo raised his hands. "Okay, okay. Chill, Vin. I want revenge the same as you. It was just a question."  
Throttle rubbed his chin.  
"We need to talk with the girls. Once they freed Dani and Rimfire, they need to bring the bikes and weapons to the transporter. At the same time, we need to be at the transporter here on Plutark. Once we got our rides, we go back and make our statement. After that, we need to go back to Earth and find out where they are building that drill Otto told us about."  
Vinnie looked at him questionably. Throttle quickly explained what they heard today.  
"The only thing I don't like about this plan, is that we need to wait till Dani and Rimfire are out. I really can't pretend anymore, bro's. I almost lost it today", Vinnie said, holding up his hands as proof.  
Throttle sighed. "What did you do, Vincent?"  
"I kinda hit the wall.. a couple of hundred times or so…"  
"And, did the wall fought back?", Modo asked, slightly amused.  
Vinnie stared at him. Throttle chuckled.  
"I'll come back to that, Vin. First, we need to contact the girls. Modo, go stand on the lookout by the door. If they are gonna find my small friend, we are lost."  
Modo did what him was told. Throttle grabbed the small computer and pushed a couple of buttons.  
"Throttle?", they heard Carbine's voice.  
"Yes, it's me."  
"Are you guys okay?", she quickly asked with worry in her voice.  
"Well… Listen, we don't have much time. We found out today that Dani and Rimfire are still on Earth. That stinkfish framed us."  
Carbine gasped. "No fucking way!"  
"I know, right. But we have a plan. First priority is getting Dani and Rimfire to safety. I need you and the girls to free them."  
"No problem. What about you?"  
"Once they're out, we break out this godforsaken place and go to the transporter. At the same time, you'll send our bikes and weapons to us. I have the coordinates from the transporter, so you guys know where to find it. Once we have the bikes here, we go back to kill Mace."  
"Mace? He is there?"  
"Yeah. Once we are done here, we'll come back to Earth and we have another mission, but I will tell you when we are back."  
"Okay, we are going to free Dani and Rimfire. After that, we immediately go to the transporter. If Mozz is gonna find out you guys are there and you are still stuck, it's over."  
"Contact us when you have Dani and Rimfire, alright?"  
"I will. Be careful, Throttle."  
"You too, Carbine."  
Throttle broke the connection and quickly sended the coordinates to Carbine.  
"And now, we wait."  
Vinnie shook his head. "Throttle, I am losing my mind over here. Maybe you didn't notice?"  
"Hard to miss, Vinnie. But what choice do we have?"  
Vinnie growled and hit the wall again. Modo quickly grabbed him.  
"Vin, calm down. You will get your chance! But hurting yourself is not gonna make you feel any better!"  
Vinnie yanked himself free and continued his pacing. "MAN, frustration city!", he snapped. Suddenly, the cell door flew open and a guard stormed inside.  
"What is going on here?", he demanded, looking at Vinnie.  
The white furred mouse slowly turned around to look at the guard. Throttle tensed his muscles. The look on Vinnie's face said it all. Talk about wrong timing. Vinnie was just one step away from losing it and now… Dammit. What was he gonna do? Throttle tried to make eye contact with him, but Vinnie stared at the fish in front of him. Modo was also on his guard. This moment was gonna make or break their future.  
The guard stared back at Vinnie.  
"Well? I asked you something, rodent!"  
Vinnie took a deep breath and smiled his trademark smile.  
"Everything is fine, why do you ask?", he asked with a bittersweet voice. Throttle and Modo relaxed a little.  
The guard looked at the blood covered fabric around Vinnie's hands. "Because I heard screaming and noises coming out of this cell. What did you do to your hands?"  
Vinnie looked at his hands too and pretended to be embarrassed.  
"I tripped. Can you imagine? It was embarrassing, really. I swear, sometimes this thing has his own life", he said, pointing at his lashing tail.  
The guard narrowed his eyes. But then, he burst out laughing.  
"Man, wait till I tell my colleagues about this. A Martian Mouse who trips over his own tail. You are really one stupid mouse, aren't you?"  
Vinnie laughed with him, but his eyes were fuming.  
"Yeah, yeah, silly me…", he said with a low voice. His left ear twitched.  
The guard turned around and walked out of the cell, shaking his head and still laughing. When the door closed, the mice relaxed a little.  
Throttle clapped Vinnie on the back. "Wauw, I must say… I'm impressed. You sure are a smooth talker."  
Modo agreed. "Yeah. I'm beginning to understand why the ladies like you so much."  
Vinnie gasped and looked at Modo with wide eyes.  
"What took you so long to notice? I mean, you have the honour to be in my presence every day for years now! Not to mention my studly body!"  
Modo rolled his eyes. "You forget to mention your ego…"  
Vinnie took a few deep breaths. But he was still on edge. Throttle looked at him.  
"You think you can keep yourself under control for now? Just till we know that Dani and Rimfire are safe?"  
"Yeaahhh, well, I will try, okay?", Vinnie said with a deep sigh.  
"Fair enough."

That night, the mice couldn't sleep. Vinnie was tossing and turning, but couldn't find a comfortable position. Well, maybe that was because the bed wasn't really a bed. It was just a wooden plank with a thin blanket and a pillow. He was surprised they even had a pillow.  
"Vincent. Can you please lay still? I am trying to sleep, ya know?", Throttle suddenly sighed.  
Vinnie rolled on his belly and moaned. "Man, I can't sleep."  
"Ya think?", Modo said dryly.  
"I wonder how the girls are doing", Vinnie said.  
"Yeah, well it's been six hours since our call, so my guess is that she can call us any minute from now on. Depends on how their mission is going", Throttle said, putting on his glasses. No need to even try to sleep anymore. He was wide awake, ready to kick some butt.  
"It's almost morning, bro's. What if she calls when you are in the field? And I am with that creep?", Vinnie asked.  
"Then we wait till we are back in our cell", Modo answered. Throttle nodded.  
"The big guy is right."  
"Ah man…"  
But thankfully, luck was on their side. The small computer came to life.  
"Throttle?"  
Throttle signed to Modo that he had to be on the lookout again. Modo immediately obeyed.  
"Carbine, did you succeeded?", the tan furred mouse asked into the computer.  
"Of course, but it was no easy job. We are driving to Lake Michigan as we speak with Rimfire and Dani, but they are following us and Violet is hurt…"  
Vinnie jerked upright and snatched the computer out of Throttle's hands.  
"Say what?", he growled.  
"Ah, Vinnie. Hello to you too. Chill, it's not that bad. She busted her leg. But…"  
"Let me talk to her!"  
"Vinnie?", he heard Violet's voice.  
"Sweetheart, are you okay?", Vinnie asked worried.  
"Yeah, well, I had better days. My leg is broken I think, but Jake put some emergency cast on it. I'll live. How are you, cutie?"  
"Ready to whip some major tail. Almost exploding. But beside that… Never been better."  
"Good to hear. Carbine wants the radio back. Be safe, macho mouse."  
"You too, pretty lady."  
Throttle grabbed the computer back.  
"Carbine, how far are you from the transporter?"  
"My guess is that we can reach it in two hours. You guys gotta make sure to be on the other side. Sure you don't need us up there?"  
"Yeah. We can't leave Earth unsupervised, not since Mozz is angry since he lost his prisoners. We will be there at 7, okay? Stay in touch."  
"Alright, handsome. Be safe."  
"You too."  
Throttle turned off the computer and smirked.  
"Bro's. It's time we are gonna introduce ourselves who we really are. Biker Mice style!"  
Vinnie's face lit up and he jumped in the air. "YES! Finally!"  
Modo threw away his glasses and yanked his blazer off, freeing his armcannon.  
"All ready to whip some tail!"  
"Okay bro's, listen. We need to be at the transporter at seven. We break out, find ourselves something that can bring us there. That can be anything, as long as we don't have to go on foot. That is our focus now. After that… Payback time. Let's do this, bro's. Let's ROCK..."  
"... and IMPROVISE!"

Vinnie punched his fist into his other hand.  
"Autsj!", he squeaked, since his knuckles were wounded. He quickly recovered himself and whistled between his teeth.  
"YO! GUARD!", he yelled, smiling. They heard running footsteps and the guard flew inside, right past Modo, who was standing behind the door.  
He stopped right in front of Vinnie. "How dare you to even use your voice, I…" but Modo ticked him on the shoulder. The guard slowly turned around and Modo punched him out cold. He grabbed his gun, threw it at Vinnie and found a spare gun for Throttle.  
"Let's go."  
They ran out of the cell and quickly looked around. A guard saw them standing and quickly slammed on a button. A siren went off, along with red flashing lights.  
"You really shouldn't have done that…", Vinnie said while launching himself at the guard. He tackled him with his tail and grabbed him. He recognized him as the fish who had laughed at him. He narrowed his eyes. The fish stared at him and smiled sheepishly.  
"You eh… you didn't trip, right?", he asked tiredly.  
Vinnie shook his head. "Nope, I didn't. I am Vinnie van Wham, baddest mamma jammer from this side of the asteroid belt and I never trip. And I definitely ain't stupid…" and he smiled evil. The guard struggled to get free, but Vinnie slammed his head against the wall. He was already dead when his body touched the ground.  
"That felt extremely satisfying", Vinnie smiled while turning around to Modo and Throttle. They ran further into the hallway.  
"You never trip? Right, like I believe that. I can remember that one time on Mars…", Modo started with a smirk, but Vinnie quickly interrupted him.  
"Just standard hero talk, Modo, come on! Don't ruin this for me!"  
Modo and Throttle laughed, but said nothing further. They decided to let Vinnie enjoy his small victory. His poor ego had already suffered enough during this mission.  
They flew around a corner and ran into a small army of guards. They stopped and smiled.  
"Three against twenty. Finally, some fair odds", Vinnie smirked.  
"I always like a challenge", Modo added.  
"Let's get them, bro's!", Throttle said and they threw themselves into chaos.  
After a few minutes, all the guards were dead or unconscious. The bro's high fived and quickly ran further.  
"Do we have any idea where the exit is?", Modo asked. They stopped and looked at each other.  
"Good point... ", Throttle said, looking around him. They were standing in a hallway with cells. Another group of guards came running towards them.  
"STOP RIGHT THERE!", one of them yelled and fired at them.  
Vinnie smiled.  
"Bro's… We are the Biker Mice. We don't use doors!" and he grabbed the gun Modo had gave him. He aimed at the wall and shot. The wall exploded and the hole was just big enough. They climbed through it and ran away. Throttle looked around him. Good, they were outside. The only thing now was to climb over the fence. But guards were running towards them from multiple directions. They quickly ran further and reached the fence. But when Vinnie grabbed it to climb up, he quickly let it go.  
"Yiiaaooww, it's an electric fence", he yelled and turned around. Throttle and Modo did the same. They were completely surrounded.  
"Fun is over, stinkin' rats! Drop your weapons!", one of the guards yelled at them. Throttle nodded and they raised their hands. He quickly looked around him and saw that they were standing close to the generator from the fence. He smiled. He raised his tail and tapped Modo on the shoulder. Modo looked at him and Throttle pointed at the generator with his tail. Modo nodded.  
"Hit and run manoeuvre number six, bro's!", Throttle yelled.  
"Ah, can we do number five instead? I look so cool in that one!", Vinnie asked pleading.  
"Number six, Vincent."  
Modo quickly raised his arm and shot at the generator. The thing immediately exploded. The guards were distracted by the explosion and Vinnie jumped on the fence and climbed up. He wrapped his tail around Throttle's wrist and lifted him. Throttle did the same with Modo and they quickly jumped over the edge of the fence. When they landed, the guards opened fire on them. They ran away, zigzagging to avoid they got hit.  
"AAOOWWW, let's rock and run, bro's!", Vinnie cheered and he speeded up. But Modo and Throttle were quicker this time, since their legs were longer than Vinnie's.  
"Ah man, you just wait till I got my bike back!", Vinnie yelled, trying to catch up, but it was no use. Throttle and Modo high fived and ran further. They stopped by a building and Throttle peaked through the window.  
"Yes, I just found our rides, bro's!"  
Modo shot the door open and they walked inside. Throttle found the light switch and the lamps flickered and turned on.  
Vinnie's mouth fell open. The vehicles were some kind of bikes, but in the form of a seahorse. The wheels were small and well… Vinnie had already decided he and his perfect studly body where way too cool to ride a thing like that. He shook his head.  
"Uh, uh. No way", he said, turning around. But Throttle lay a hand on his shoulder.  
"No choice bro, we can't go on foot, that is taking too much time."  
Vinnie let out his breath. "Ah man…", and he slowly sat down on the bike. Modo didn't liked it either. He was way too big for this vehicle and he felt like a clown. Vinnie glanced at him and started laughing.  
"Looking good, bro! Sure Gaya would appreciate this view."  
Modo glared at him.  
"Your swollen head is also way too big for you ride, bro", he snarled back. Vinnie stopped laughing.  
Throttle chuckled and took place on his vehicle.  
"Let's rock… and RIDE!" and they started the engines. Vinnie opened the gas and the bike flew outside.  
"Waaaooowww, these things may look stupid, but they sure are fast!", he cheered. Modo and Throttle quickly followed him.  
"Which way, bro's?", Vinnie asked. Throttle pointed at the rails.  
"We came by train, so let's follow the rails."  
They followed the rails for a while. Throttle looked behind him.  
"Good, they didn't follow us. For now."

Suddenly, a laser hit the floor right before them. Vinnie tried to avoid it, but the Plutarkian bike wasn't as viable as his own bike. The front tire exploded and Vinnie flew off.  
"YAAOOWW, autsj!", he squeaked when he landed on the ground. Throttle drove past him and grabbed Vinnie with his tail. He set him behind him. Good thing the Plutarkians were fat, so there was just enough room for two macho mice.  
"You okay, Vinnie?", Throttle asked while grabbing his gun. Vinnie nodded.  
"Yeah, fine. Let's nail them!" and he also grabbed his gun.  
Modo joined them and they opened fire on the train which was riding towards them. The weapons on the train exploded and Modo was about to fire again, but Throttle stopped him.  
"MODO, NO! There could be innocent people on that train!"  
Modo slowly lowered his arm. "Right."  
"Let the train pass", Throttle ordered. Vinnie looked in the cockpit of the train and saw a thick, ugly stinkfish grabbing his gun. Vinnie quickly raised his gun and shot the fish right between the eyes. The train hit the brakes and slowly stopped. The mice stopped too and stared at the train, ready to attack. But nobody came out. Vinnie jumped off Throttle's ride and slowly walked to the train. He opened the doors and looked inside. Empty.  
"Emptier than Greasepit's head, bro's."  
He turned around and didn't saw the Plutarkian that suddenly dove up behind him. Modo quickly raised his arm and shot him. Vinnie quickly turned around and saw the dead fish. He looked at Modo and winked.  
"Good thing you are well armed, bro!"  
Modo shook his head and rolled his eyes. "It's getting old, Vinnie."  
Throttle chuckled. "Come on, Vin. Hop on."  
Vinnie jumped behind Throttle and they quickly drove to the transporter. When they arrived there, Throttle looked on his computer.  
"With only one minute to spare, bro's."  
Vinnie flexed his muscles. "Good timing as always."  
Throttle called Carbine.  
"Throttle?"  
"We are at the transporter. How are things going?"  
"We are also at the transporter. Jake and Gaya are putting your bikes in it as we speak."  
"Great. Good job, Carbine. I knew we could count on you", Throttle said lovingly.  
"Here they come…"  
A flash of light and the bikes came out of the transporter.  
"YES!", Vinnie cheered and jumped on his bike. The bike beeped back happily. Vinnie put on his helmet and noticed his bazooka was attached to his bike. He smiled. Violet just knew him too well.  
Modo was hugging his bike.  
"Hey there, little darlin'. You are sure a sight to sore eyes."  
Throttle climbed on his own bike.  
"Carbine, try to keep Mozz occupied till we are back, okay?"  
"I will. Good luck out there, handsome."  
"You too, babe."  
He put the computer back in his pocket, looked at his two bro's and smiled.  
"Okay, bro's. It's payback time. Let's ROCK…"  
"...and RIDE!"


	16. Chapter 16

You guys... I must say; I miss the reviews. I really don't wanna beg for them, it's just way too boring without them.  
Anyway, here is the next chapter. Hope you guys still like the story.

Later!

* * *

 **Chapter sixteen**

Hercules was mad. No, he was furious. Three mice escaped out of the prison. How was that even possible? He was pacing through his room. The door opened and a soldier walked in. He saluted.  
"Sir. No sign of the rodents. We are putting up a search team. They won't get away, sir."  
Hercules snorted. "Right. Make sure you find them. I want them back. And I want them dead! You hear me?", he roared. The soldier saluted again.  
"Yes sir." And he quickly left the room. Hercules continued his pacing. Suddenly, the vidcom beeped. He walked over to his desk and slammed the button.  
"WHAT?!"  
Mozz his face appeared on the screen and he was not looking happy.  
"Sir. I eh… I wanted to rapport… Ehm…", he stuttered, sweat dripping of his face.  
Hercules narrowed his eyes.  
"What? Spill it, Mozz. NOW!"  
"I lost the prisoners, sir. They are rescued by the girlfriends of those repulsive rodents." He fell silent and waited for the huge scolding from his general.  
Hercules took a deep breath. He looked at Mozz with an ice cold look in his eyes.  
"And where are the males?", he asked with a dangerous low voice.  
Mozz wiped the sweat of his forehead and smiled nervously.  
"I eh… I don't know. Their bikes are gone…"  
Hercules sighed. "I think I know where they are… They are here…"  
Mozz almost jumped out of his skin.  
"What? Sir, I don't know what you are talking about…"  
"They were here all the time… How is it possible I didn't saw it? We picked up three mice from Earth, the order came from Deep Pocket. They looked completely harmless… I even had picked one of them as my servant, god dammit. They were here all along. They tricked us…"  
Mozz was staring at Hercules.  
"Sir, I am not following you…"  
Hercules eyes were fuming.  
"What is so hard to understand? THEY TRICKED US! They came to Plutark behind your back and pretended to be innocent, harmless mice. And now they escaped…"  
Mozz gasped.  
"Es...escaped you say?", he stuttered, while pulling on his collar.  
"Yes… And we have nothing to say about them anymore since you lost the prisoners. So far your good plan, Mozz…"  
He suddenly heard engines coming closer. The sounds of explosions followed and the building rocked. Hercules sighed and sat down behind his desk.  
"Three… two… one…"  
The wall exploded and the mice flew inside.  
"The usual heroic entrance", Vinnie smiled.  
"And so punctual too…", Hercules sighed tiredly.

"Sir? What is happening?", Mozz asked, worried.  
Vinnie stepped off his bike and grabbed his gun.  
"Bro's, this is one nice reception", he said when he saw Mozz on the screen. Throttle chuckled.  
"Yeah, but we are missing one special guest…"  
"Where is that stinkin' rat?", Modo finished.  
Vinnie set his gun on Hercules head.  
"Yeah, SIR…", he said sarcastically. "Where is Mace?"  
Hercules shrugged. "I have no idea…"  
"Well, call him and tell him you need him here, pronto", Vinnie ordered, while waving at Mozz with a big grin on his face. Mozz waved dazed back.  
Hercules pushed a button and after a short time, Mace his voice filled the room.  
"Yes, sir?"  
"I need you in my office. NOW!"  
"On my way, sir."  
Hercules looked at Vinnie. "Happy now?"  
Vinnie stared at him in disbelief. "Happy? Hell no, sweetheart. You are gonna pay for treating my like you did."  
"Yeah, but first, we need to get this party on the road. So, we'll wait till Mace is here", Throttle said.  
Hercules suddenly smiled.  
"You really thought that nobody is coming to save me?", he laughed and suddenly, the door blasted open and an army of soldiers walked in, pointing guns at the mice.  
"Surrender mice, and I will promise you your death will be quick and painfree…", Hercules said.  
Throttle quickly counted how many soldiers there were standing in the room. 30… Hmmm… He looked at Modo and then at Vinnie, who was still holding his gun against the head of Hercules. He turned around to face the small army.  
"One movement and your General is dead... ", he threatened, pointing at Hercules.  
Vinnie smiled and put his finger on the trigger.  
"Yeah, and I do have an itchy trigger finger, so... "  
Hercules growled in anger and frustration. Vinnie put some extra pressure on the gun and Hercules raised his hands.  
"Okay, okay. Retreat! NOW! I will handle this."  
The soldiers lowered their guns and left the room, looking worriedly behind them. But they had no choice. They always obeyed orders.  
Modo shut the door behind them.  
"Wise decision, cheesebreath…", he smiled evilly.  
Hercules sighed.  
"Oh, I forgot. Flint told me to say hi when we would see you", Throttle said nonchalant, leaning on his handlebars.  
Hercules his head jerked up.  
"WHAT?"  
Throttle chuckled.  
"Yeah, the last call he made? We were there. We told him to say that we destroyed the virus. But we didn't destroyed it, actually… Well, you did, when you decided to blow up our whole planet!", he suddenly yelled angry.  
Hercules was shaking in anger. These mice…  
"You got what you deserved", he said, looking at Throttle.  
Throttle took a deep breath to control himself. Modo lay a hand on his shoulder.  
"Well, at least we still have Gaya…", Vinnie said, smirking arrogant.

Suddenly, the door opened and Mace walked into the room.  
"Here I am….", he trailed off when he saw Throttle, Modo and Vinnie. He quickly turned around to run, but Modo grabbed him.  
"You are not going anywhere, MACE."  
He threw him in a chair and pointed his arm cannon at Mace.  
Throttle slowly stepped off his bike and walked over to Mace.  
"So, we meet again…", he said with a low voice. Mace smiled nervous.  
"Quit a reunion... ", he murmered.  
Vinnie looked at him with a murderous look on his face. How long had he waited to see this stupid rat again? The one who took away his first love. No punishment seemed worse enough to make him pay for what he did.  
Throttle gave him a warning look. The tan furred mouse wanted to interrogate Mace and he couldn't use it if Vinnie was jumping at the rat in blind rage.  
Vinnie sighed, but remained where he was.  
"So, now the party is complete, please tell me everything about the human trafficking. And I mean everything", Throttle said, looking at Mace again.  
Mace looked at Hercules with a stuffy expression on his face. Hercules smiled.  
"And why do you think we are gonna tell you? You are gonna kill us, no matter what. So… I think we'll take our secret to our grave."  
Throttle nodded at Vinnie. The white furred mouse pointed his gun between Hercules his legs.  
"It's not about the fact IF you are gonna die, but HOW. We can promise you this… Cooperate and your death will be fast and painfree…", he growled in Hercules his ear. Hercules laughed, he just couldn't help it. He clearly underestimated the young mouse. Vinnie shrugged.  
"Your choice", and he pulled the trigger, right in the cross of the stinking fish. Hercules screamed. The pain was excruciating.  
"Oh my god… oh my god… Nooo…", he cried when he looked at his cross. It was one, bloody mess.  
"You see, we are not that innocent mousies anymore. We learn from our mistakes. You leave us no choice to fight down and dirty, just like you", Throttle growled.  
Hercules was breathing heavily. Mozz was looking at all this from his screen, a compassionate expression on his face. Mace looked like he was gonna faint.  
Vinnie put the gun back on the head of Hercules.  
"So, spill it."  
The big general didn't looked so tough anymore. He more looked like a big child, crying. He took a deep breath.  
"Mace and Mozz are running all this. We needed people who could do our dirty work, since we also lost a lot of men in the war on Mars. When Mozz landed on Earth, he came up with the idea to use humans. They are stupid. The government wouldn't notice, if we would play it smart. Mace is controlling all this from Plutark or Earth. He has eyes and ears in the city from the guys who work for Mozz. The people who are guarding and transporting the prisoners, don't know who they work for. They are just criminals from Chicago. Mace gives them orders by computer, but I think you already knew that…", Hercules gasped, almost passing out because of the pain.  
He took a few deep breaths and continued, his voice shaky.  
"We pick people who are alone and not be missed that easily. So, that's how we keep a low profile. Mozz has built a huge empire in Chicago, almost owning every building in town. We use them to hide the people till they are ready for transport. He also has contacts within the FBI and the police. It's interesting to see that people are willing to look the other way if you offer them the right price."  
Modo's eye was glowing red and he was breathing heavily.  
"Just when I thought you couldn't sink any deeper... To treat people like this... ", he growled. His arm, that was still pointing at Mace, was shaking in anger. Hercules shrugged.  
"We do what we have to do in order to survive."  
Vinnie snorted. "Right. Destroying planets, killing people, using people… Just to survive? If that helps you to sleep at night…"  
Throttle looked at Mace.  
"And what about you? You betrayed us. You almost got us killed. You kidnapped Harley… Oh man, we have a score to settle", he said with his husky voice, cracking his knuckles. Mace looked at him with wide eyes.  
"I didn't have a choice. I needed money and the Plutarkians offered me that. We were losing. The battle we fought was a losing battle. So I did what I needed to do to survive…"  
"Yeah? You needed to kidnap Harley to survive?", Vinnie demanded.  
Mace chuckled nervously. "Well, no… But I… I liked her. And I wanted to make you guys pay for destroying the tug transformer. If you didn't stop it , Mars was gone and so was the war!"  
Modo shook his head.  
"Mars is gone and look, here we are, still in war with the Plutarkians."  
Mace shrugged. "Yeah well… I made my choice, okay?"  
"The wrong choice, that's for sure", Vinnie said with a low voice.

Throttle clapped in his hands.  
"Okay, time to wrap this party up. Mozz, you still there?"  
"Unfortunately, I am…"  
"I want the plug out of the human trafficking. It's done. Mace; you are going to send your guards the order to release every prisoner they have on Earth. Tell them that the police is close by finding out what is going on, that will motivate them. Mozz, I want you gone. Get your Plutarkian ass over here and stay here. Earth is ours, not yours. Never will be. Hercules; you are gonna release every prisoner here and send them back to Earth. Give the order. NOW!"  
Mace grumbled something and grabbed his computer. He typed the order and Modo checked it.  
"All good, send it." Mace pushed on enter. "Done."  
Mozz was staring at Throttle through the screen. "Fine. I will be on Plutark tomorrow."  
"No, today."  
"And who is gonna make me?"  
"We are." Mozz turned around by the sudden voice and saw Carbine and Gaya. They pointed their gun at Mozz and Gaya was holding a struggling Megan.  
Mozz raised his hands. "Okay, okay." He looked one more time at the screen.  
"You are gonna pay for this, mark my words! I will come back!"  
Throttle shrugged. "Yeah, well. Don't forget to write."  
He looked at Hercules.  
"Your turn, stink breath."  
Hercules slowly pushed a button.  
"Attention all soldiers. Release all the prisoners and transport them back to Earth. That's an order!"  
He slowly sat back on his chair. "Congratulations, mice. You won."  
Vinnie smiled.  
"Cool. And now it's time to go…", he said with a evil smirk. Mace and Hercules exchanged looks.

Throttle sighed. He didn't like to kill people. It was just not in his nature. But like he said, the Plutarkians made them do things they normally never would do. And they did deserve it. He looked at Modo, who was obviously feeling the same way. Then he looked at Vinnie. The white furred mouse was pumped up and ready to kick some majorly butt. For an moment, Throttle didn't knew what to do. But if he was gonna spare Mace and Hercules, they would come back for their revenge. Plus, killing them would be a great loss for the Plutarkians. But still…  
He made a decision. He looked at Vinnie and nodded. Vinnie immediately pulled the trigger and blew a bullet through the head of the big fish. At least they did what they promised. A fast, pain free death. Vinnie slowly walked over to Mace.  
"A little something to remember me by, RAT", he said and planted a bullet between the eyes of the rat. He looked at his bro's.  
"That didn't felt satisfying as I always had hoped for… But at least he is dead now…"  
Throttle took a deep breath. "Well, let's hope this is the last time we are forced to kill people. Even if it are traitors and Plutarkians…"  
Modo nodded. "I feel ya, bro."  
"Let's see if they released the prisoners yet", Throttle said, climbing on his bike. They revved their engines and flew outside. They drove up a big building and saw the prisoners were being guided into the train.  
"We wait till everybody is back on Earth. Once we are back, we destroy the transporter", Throttle said. His bro's nodded.

After a while, all the prisoners were gone. The mice revved their bikes and drove to the transporter. There was nobody to stop them. The Plutarkians took a hard hit today. It was gonna cost them a lot of time to recover from it.  
They used the transporter and in a flash, they were back on Earth. They set their bikes in water mode and drove away, while throwing three grenades at the transporter. The explosion was deafening.  
"AAOOWW, I always like it to go out with a BANG!", Vinnie cheered.  
"We did a good job today, bro's. I'm proud of you", Throttle said smiling.  
Modo and Vinnie exchanged looks. That were words Throttle not used that much often. They both smiled and looked at Throttle.  
"We are also very proud of you, fearless leader. You're the best!", Vinnie said happily.  
"Yeah, what loudmouth said. You're a good leader", Modo added.  
Throttle smiled and when they arrived at land, he popped a wheelie.  
"Alright, bro's. Time to go home. Let's ROCK…"  
"...and RIDE!"

When they arrived at the board, Carbine ran outside and jumped in Throttle's arms.  
"I am so glad you are back in one piece", she said, crying in his arms. Throttle held her tightly, a little surprised by this behaviour. It was so not Carbine to be so vulnerable. But he had to admit, she was changed since she wasn't a general anymore. And he loved it. She became more and more like the old Carbine again, the one he had fell in love with from the moment he saw her. Vinnie and Modo let the lovebirds and flew inside the board. Vinnie pulled off his helmet and saw Violet lying on the couch with a cast around her right leg. When she saw him, her face lit up and her beautiful green eyes started to shine.  
"Vinnie!", she said happy, trying to get up. She had never looked so cute.  
Vinnie walked over to her in just two big steps and pulled her in his arms.  
"Sweetheart, gosh, I am so glad to see you. Are you okay? Who did this?", he babbled. Violet smiled and buried her face in his neck.  
"I'm fine. I fell off my bike, nothing major. I'm so happy you are back…", she whispered and held him tightly. She looked over his shoulder to Modo and Gaya, who were also holding each other. She sniffed up Vinnie's scent, but immediately regretted that.  
"Iewl! God, cutie, I hate to state the obvious, but you stink!"  
Vinnie entangled himself and looked at her.  
"Yeah well, being on Plutark does that to you, you know? My bro's don't smell like petunia's either…"  
Violet laughed her sexy, husky laugh. "Guess it's time for a shower then. I would have come with you, if I hadn't this", she said, pointing at her leg. Vinnie kissed her, long and passionate. Their need for air made them broke apart. He wiggled his eyebrows and winked at her. He jumped at his feet and sniffed at his fur. He drew a dirty face.  
"Ugh, hate to say it, but you are right, sweetheart. I do stink. Time for a long, hot shower."  
He turned around and saw Dani, Jake and Rimfire.  
"Guys! Glad you are back in one piece! You okay?"  
They nodded. "RIMFIRE!", they suddenly heard a heavy voice and Modo ran over to his nephew.  
"Are you okay, little man?", he asked, pulling him in his arms.  
"I'm fine, uncle Modo. Glad you are back safely!"  
Vinnie smiled at this touching sight and looked at Dani. She looked like a mess, alright. Her normally spotless appearance nowhere to be found. But by the looks of things, she didn't care. She was smiling and looking at Jake. Jake smiled back and quickly lowered his eyes. Vinnie snickered. Something was happening between those two, he could see it. Throttle and Carbine came inside, holding hands.  
"Dips on the shower, bro's!", Vinnie suddenly yelled and quickly ran inside the bathroom.  
"Well, fair enough. After all, It was him who was forced to give a Plutarkian a back rub, right?", he heard Modo saying while he was closing the door. He grabbed a piece of soap and opened the door again.  
"HEY! NEVER talk about that AGAIN, YOU HEAR ME?", he yelled and threw the soap against Modo's head. Everybody laughed and Vinnie closed the door with a bang, but with a smile on his face. He took off his clothes and looked at himself appreciatively in the mirror. Damn, look how handsome he was… He stepped into the shower and let out a sigh of relief when he felt the warm water on his back. When his fur was wet enough, he grabbed the shampoo and emptied a whole bottle on his body. He rubbed his entire body like twenty minutes.  
"That should do it", he mumbled. He suddenly felt how hungry he was. He realized he didn't eat the entire mission. The adrenaline was wearing off and with the warm water, he suddenly felt as weak as a dishcloth. He decided to quickly finish his shower so he could eat something, but his body was done. He suddenly saw glitters before his eyes and the world became black.

When he slowly woke up, he was lying in his hammock with only a towel around his waist. He squeezed his eyes a couple of times and tried to get a sharp image. Slowly, that happened and he looked right in the face of Violet. She was sitting next to him on a chair, holding his hand. She smiled when she saw his eyes open.  
"Hey cutie, welcome back. You okay?" Vinnie slowly got upright and nodded.  
"Yeah, but I really need to eat something, I guess…"  
"On it's way. Throttle and Modo are grabbing some dogs. Dani's threat."  
Vinnie nodded and looked around him.  
"Where is the rest?"  
"They are cruising through the city. Since Mozz is gone, it's safe enough to take a good look at the city."  
At that point, Modo and Throttle burst inside. Modo immediately rushed over to Vinnie.  
"Hey there, little bro. You okay? Here, eat this!", and he gave his white furred bro a hotdog. Vinnie quickly absorbed it and held up his hand for a second one. After ten hotdogs, he felt satisfied.  
"Thanks, bro's. I really should eat while I'm on a mission, but I guess I just live on adrenaline…"  
Throttle laughed. "Yeah, that's the only thing you need, right?"  
Vinnie shrugged. "Yeah, well... most of the time. You guys okay?"  
They both nodded.  
"Yeah, fine. No problem at all. Nope, no fainting, no…" Modo started but Vinnie held up his hand.  
"Yeah thanks, bro. You made your point."  
Throttle chuckled.

The rest of the group flew inside. Dani jumped off the back from Jake's bike with a big smile.  
"Guys! Tomorrow night is party time! We gotta celebrate this, okay? Well, it actually is not a question. This is gonna happen."  
Carbine dragged bags of her bike, shaking her head with a smile. Throttle looked at her, surprised she agreed with this. Carbine put the bags on the table and raised her hands.  
"Don't look at me! The lady is very persistent, alright?"  
Rimfire smiled, also putting bags on the table. Vinnie looked at all this.  
"How long was I out? Jezus, what did you buy, the whole party shop?", he asked, shaking his head.  
"No, just some stuff we need to make it a good evening. Food, a stereo since you guys don't have one, some decorations, rootbeer, alcohol…"  
Vinnie ears perked when he heard her say alcohol. "Alright, Dani girl, good thinking!"  
She winked at him. "You can say a lot about me, but I do know how to party."  
Violet shook her head. "No alcohol for me. Last time was too much…"  
Vinnie looked at her like she was on fire. "Say what, sweetheart? No way. We are such a good party couple. Come on!"  
Violet laughed. "I'll think about it."  
Throttle looked thoughtful. "What about that drill Mozz is building? We need to go check that out…"  
Carbine took his hand. "Mozz is gone. We sended him to Plutark and destroyed the transporter after that. Megan is still in Chicago, because I couldn't leave Mozart behind alone. But we made very clear that if she isn't going to behave, we will come after her. So, for now there are no immediate threats."  
"He will come back, you know that right?", the tan furred mouse said, looking Carbine in the eye.  
She nodded. "I know. But that will take some time. So I see no problem to celebrate tomorrow. Come on, Throttle. I know we need to take this war very serious, but now we have the chance to breathe a little. To remember there are also nice things in life."  
Throttle narrowed his eyes behind his glasses. Who was she and what did she do to Carbine? She was actually trying to convince him to party? He smiled.  
"Alright, beautiful. You're right." He gave her a little kiss on the cheek.

"AAOOWW, ALRIGHT!, Vinnie cheered.  
He jumped out of his hammock, forgotten that he was only wearing a towel. The towel fell on the ground at the same time Dani turned around from the table to say something. She stared at Vinnie, who was standing in front of her full naked and swallowed with wide eyes. Vinnie smiled sheepishly and quickly recovered. He snatched the towel with his tail and fled into the bathroom. Everybody laughed and Dani gave Violet an apologizing look. Violet winked at her. Never a dull moment with Vinnie around.

* * *

Please review. :)


	17. Chapter 17

Yeaahhh, a review! Thanks! :)  
This chapter contains the lyrics of 'The sound of silence' from Disturbed. I don't own this words.

* * *

 **Chapter seventeen**

The next evening, the scoreboard was turned into a almost real looking club. Dani had bought lights with flashy colours and hung up some garlands with glitters. With Modo's help, she managed to attach a huge disco ball at the ceiling. She had aimed the lights at the ball to make sparks on the floor. She also had bought a huge stereo for the music.  
Throttle was wondering how she paid for all this, but Carbine had told him the girl was rich. Apparently, she made a lot of money with her work as a lawyer.  
The kitchen table was transformed as bar. All the drinks and food was standing on it for the grab.  
The guys were sitting on the couch, which now was standing in the corner, since Dani wanted to create a dancefloor. They felt a little bit uncomfortable, since their idea of partying was quite different. The girls were all in the bathroom, apparently Dani had bought an party outfit for every girl. There was a lot of screaming and laughing while they were getting dressed. Vinnie looked at his bro's.  
"Really, I get the dressing part. Not so sure about the volume, though…"  
Modo and Throttle chuckled and shrugged.  
"Ah well. At least they are having fun", Throttle said, but on the inside he totally agreed with Vinnie. This behaviour was new to them. Since they were living in a war for so long, there wasn't much time to party. If they did, it was a lot different from this. But Dani had told him this was partying 'Earth style'.  
Rimfire looked at Jake. "So, you and Dani huh?"  
A red blush immediately appeared under his brown fur.  
"I eh… well… Let's just wait and see, okay? We just met", he stuttered. Rimfire laughed. Since they were about the same age and had the same haircut, they looked like brothers. They had met only days ago, but could get along very well. Modo was happy to see that his nephew made a new friend. Someone of his own age.  
Vinnie winked at Jake. "Better watch your tail, the lady knows what she wants, alright." Jake wanted to say something, but was interrupted by the subject of their conversation. Dani walked out of the bathroom and the guys looked at her. Their jaws almost dropped on the ground. Dani smiled. She was wearing a glitter dress with high heels. Her brown and blond hair fell in curls over her shoulders. Her make up was spotless. She clapped in her hands.  
"Ladies and gentlemice; may I have your attention please?", she called. But asking their attention wasn't really that necessary. The guys were staring at her with wide eyes. Even Vinnie was speechless for a moment.  
"Let me introduce to you, the Lady Mice From Mars. I know you are always fighting in a war, and being badass is more important than looks…" Vinnie wanted to interrupt her, but Modo slammed a hand over his mouth.  
Dani nodded at Modo and continued. "I thought it was time to show you how pretty your girls are!"  
With grace, she opened the bathroom door and three very embarrassed and nervous girls slowly walked out.

Carbine, pulling on her skirt, not used to wear something like that. She wore high heels and a very sexy top. Her normally messy hair was in a braid with some loose bangs. Strangely, she walked on the heels like it was nothing. Throttle stared at her, his glasses on the top of his snout. Wow. He knew she was pretty, but now… She smiled nervously at him and he smiled encouragely back, to let her know he really appreciated the view.  
Gaya, who was wearing a red dress with red sandals, no high heels. She had told Dani she was scared she was gonna break her neck, so Dani bought something that still looked girly, but were easy to walk on. Her blond hair hang loose and was also curled. Modo's cheeks turned red under his grey fur, totally mind blown by his own girlfriend.  
And last but not least, Violet. She wore a short, black dress, but with her biker boots under it. Her leg was still in a cast and even she could walk with it very carefully, putting on some high heels didn't seemed a pretty good idea. Her hair was put up in a messy bun. Vinnie wiggled his eyebrows and purred like a tiger. "Looking hot, sweetheart!" Violet winked at him.  
"And now it's time for a little surprise!", Dani yelled with excitement. She grabbed a bag.  
"You didn't thought I only bought clothes for the girls, right? Oh no, boys. Time to chance!"  
The guys looked at each other with a stuffy expression on their faces.  
"Eh, Dani girl, I'm not sure…", Modo started but Throttle jumped at his feet. He didn't liked the idea at all, but Dani had put effort in it. No need to spoil the fun for her, right?  
He walked over to Dani and she handed the bag over to him.  
"The outfits are labeled with your names, so that shouldn't be a problem. Come on, into the bathroom you guys!"  
Throttle swallowed and signed the guys to follow him. Luckily, the bathroom was big enough to fit them all in. Jake closed the door and sighed.  
"Okay, let's see what she has in mind for us."  
Throttle grabbed the first outfit. He looked at the label.  
"Rimfire, this is yours", and he handed it over. Rimfire took it hesitantly. He unfold the clothes. It was a simple jeans with a white t-shirt.  
"This isn't that bad!", he sighed in relief.  
"Modo, this is yours", Throttle said while handing it over. Modo looked at it. It was a smoking with a pink blouse.  
"Really? Pink?", he sighed, his ears drooped.  
"Jake." The young mouse took his outfit. It was almost the same as Rimfire's outfit, only with a blue shirt.  
He let out his breath. "Pfew."  
"Vinnie." The white furred mouse looked at his outfit. It was a smoking with a red blouse.  
"Uh uh! No way! I am not gonna dress up like some sort of clown", he said, shaking his head.  
Throttle gave him a warning look. "If you don't, you are gonna disappoint the girls, Vincent."  
Vinnie looked at him blankly. "So?"  
"So, that wouldn't be very nice, right? Dani has put a lot of effort in this, so for now, we play along."  
Vinnie sighed. "And what is your outfit, fearless leader?", he snarled.  
Throttle took a deep breath and grabbed the last outfit out of the bag. It was also a smoking, but with a white blouse. He let out his breath and looked at Vinnie and Modo.  
"Seems the girls want to see us in a suit. Well, you know what they say…"  
"Girls love men in uniform", Modo finished.  
"Yeah? Even when it's pink?", Vinnie asked in disbelief.  
Modo punched him on the arm. "Dani picked it out, so yeah, even when it's pink…"  
"Ugh, this sucks, big time", Vinnie whined. But he did what him was told. He had no choice, did he? He took off his bandoliers and shirt and put on the red blouse.  
"Do you think they are gonna notice if I keep my own pants on?", he wondered.  
Throttle was busy with the buttons from his own blouse. "Yes, Vincent. They will."  
"Ah man…" Vinnie took off his pants and quickly slipped into the black pants. It fitted perfectly. He stuffed the blouse into the pants and closed it.  
"How does she even now what size we need?", he asked, slightly annoyed that it fitted.  
Modo shrugged, putting on his jacket. "Probably a girl thing", he said, while looking in the mirror.  
He didn't look that bad at all, he noticed. He remembered that one time he was undercover on a masked ball from Limburger. The girls really liked it. Charley girl did too. Hmmm. Yeah. He felt good.  
"She even made holes in it for our tails. Talk about good preparation", Rimfire said impressed.  
"Talk about humiliation", Vinnie corrected him while looking in the mirror. Of course, he still looked handsome. But come on. He was way too badass to dress up like this. Suddenly, he felt Modo's arms around his neck and saw his hands untying his bandana.  
"Hey! That's my lucky bandana!", Vinnie protested and he tried to stop Modo.  
"Yeah well, it doesn't match with red, bro. So believe me, I am doing you a favour."  
The grey furred giant threw the bandana at the rest of Vinnie's clothes. "There you go, little bro."  
Vinnie cursed softly in Martian and turned around. He looked at everybody. They all looked good, actually. Well, not as good as him, of course. Throttle put back on his shades and took a deep breath.  
"Alright, guys, ready?" They all nodded and slammed their fists against each others.  
"Let's rock and party, bro's."

Throttle opened the door and walked out. The girls were sitting on the couch, but jumped up when the door opened. Dani quickly ran towards them.  
"Okay, okay! One by one, please! So we can take a good look at all of you!", she smiled.  
Throttle shook his head, but couldn't help himself but smile. This was one party, alright.  
He walked confident to the dancefloor and turned around, like he had seen on TV. The girls whistled and laughed. Carbine checked him out and smiled. This handsome mouse was hers and she was glad he was. He looked very good.  
Vinnie crossed his arms before his chest. "Show off", he murmured while looking at Throttle.  
The tan furred mouse smiled and ran an hand through his hair. Unlike Vinnie, he never bragged about how handsome he was. But he damn knew he was. He slowly lowered his glassed and winked at the girls, who went wild. They cheered and whooped at him. Throttle casually walked back to the bathroom and chuckled when he saw Vinnie's face. The white furred loudmouth was not amused. Throttle didn't care though. Sometimes that ego of his needed to be tamed.  
"Okay, who is next?", he laughed while looking at their miserable faces. Modo firmly stepped forward.  
"I'll go. Let's get this over with."  
He walked to the dance floor and faced the girls. Gaya whistled at him. "Sexy mouse!", she giggled. The rest were also whooping and cheering. Modo blushed and quickly walked back to the bathroom. This just wasn't his thing.  
Rimfire and Jake decided to go together, since their outfits matched. They put on some tough looking face and walked like they were three meters wide, their arms far from their body. In the middle, they turned around and flexed their small muscles. The girls screamed and laughed, Dani with her eyes locked on Jake.  
Violet saw it and elbowed her. "He is like, 18. You know that right?", she giggled.  
Dani looked at her in disbelief. "You are 19 and Vinnie is 26. So, I don't see your problem?"  
Violet laughed. "Yeah well, it's kinda weird when the woman is older than the guy. But okay, you are right. Age is just a number."  
The two youngest mice were done with their show and walked back to the bathroom. Vinnie was leaning against the door opening with his arms still crossed before his chest.  
"I am not gonna do this", he growled. Throttle swung an arm around his shoulders.  
"Vinnie, come on! You always like to be in the middle of the attention! Not having cold feet now, are you?"  
Vinnie gave him a dirty look, but remained where he was. Modo winked at Throttle.  
"Are you scared the girls like Throttle more than you? He did gave away one nice show, alright."  
Vinnie jerked upright. "Right. I am the cool one in the group. No way Throttle is gonna beat that. Watch this."  
He whistled at his bike, which drove towards him. He jumped on and drove to the dancefloor. Throttle and Modo exchanged amused looks.  
Vinnie stopped at the dancefloor and looked towards the girls. They were all smiling at him and Violet winked at him. He did look good in a suit, that was for sure. Dani was also staring at him. Damn.  
Vinnie popped a wheelie and turned around on his rear tire. He let go the handlebars and set one foot on the back of his bike and grabbed the windshield. His bike spun around. Bike dancing, he was the best in it. The girls liked it too. They were screaming and cheering at him. Vinnie sat down again, his bike still on it's rear tire. He blew a kiss hand to Violet and drove back to the bathroom. He stopped right before his bro's with a grin on his face.  
"See? That is how you impress the ladies."  
Throttle chuckled, but said nothing. Modo laughed too. Vinnie stepped off his bike and walked over to the ladies.  
"Are we gonna start this party, or what?", he asked at Dani. Dani jumped at her feet.  
"Hell yeah! I will put on the music", and she ran to the stereo. She pressed play and her lips curled into a smile. Oh boy, those macho mice were not gonna like this.

Heavy beats filled the board and look how right she was. Vinnie whirled around so fast, he almost fell over.  
"You call this music? Where are the guitars?", he demanded.  
Dani just smiled. "I already told you; this is a party in Earth style. So, no heavy metal."  
Vinnie stared at her with his mouth open, but then closed it and marched straight at the drinks.  
"I need alcohol, and fast", he muttered under his breath. He grabbed a whole bottle of whiskey and turned around. The girls were on the dancefloor, but not at ease. Dani smiled. She knew it was gonna cost some time, a couple of drinks and than the party would really start.  
Jake and Rimfire were already dancing, but like two idiots. They had the time of their live with playing air guitar and perform stupid dance moves.  
When the song Despacito started, Dani jumped in the air.  
"Oohh this is my song, girls! Come on, let's dance!"  
Vinnie looked at her. 'How can this be your song? Honestly…" he shook his head.  
Dani smiled wickedly. Time to learn that loudmouth a lesson. She looked at Violet and the latter nodded. She trusted Dani.  
"You know, heavy metal is nice, I agree. But how do you dance on heavy metal?", Dani asked at the white furred mouse, coming closer to him. He looked at her suspiciously.  
"Eh… like they do?", he asked while pointing at Rimfire and Jake, who were still playing air guitar.  
Dani looked and laughed. She looked back, straight into Vinnie's ruby red eyes.  
"Yeah, something like that. Or headbanging. Or building a mosh pit. But honestly, how can a woman feel sexy while doing all that?", she asked, standing right before him now. Vinnie did a few steps back. He said nothing. Dani started to move her hips, still looking at Vinnie. She slowly moved closer to him, dancing very sensual at the beats. When she was close enough, she slowly turned around and pushed her body against his. She never stopped dancing though. Vinnie's eyes grew big while the lady was rubbing herself against him. This was wrong on so many levels. He quickly looked at Violet, who waved at him, laughing so hard she almost choked. Throttle and Modo were watching all this, laughing too. Poor Vinnie. Always such a big mouth, but such a small heart.  
Vinnie had enough, before this woman was gonna turn him on, even if he wanted it or not. He quickly walked away from her, the bottle whisky against his mouth. He took a big gulp and wiped off his mouth.  
"Okay, okay. You have made your point. You are one dangerous woman…", he said, pointing at Dani. She really was different from Charley. The human girl was laughing so hard, she almost fell on the floor.  
"Oh man, the look on your face!"  
Vinnie just shook his head and joined his bro's with red cheeks. Throttle clapped him on the back, laughing.  
"Yeah, you are one true ladies man, aren't you?"  
Vinnie shrugged. "Yeah… well… I eh…"  
"Yep, a real smooth talker too", Modo laughed.  
Vinnie crossed his arms before his chest, looking annoyed. Violet walked over to him and pulled him in a hug.  
"Ahhh, no pouting tonight, cutie. It was just a joke."  
"Yeah, well, if it was you who was riding against me, I would have liked it too", he mumbled, but held her tightly.  
"Sorry, I'm not really a good dancer. Never been", she smiled, her head against his chest. She looked up to him.  
"But damn, you look good in a suit, cutie."  
Vinnie looked down at her with a cocky grin. "I always look good, sweetheart."

One hour and a lot of alcohol later, the girls were dancing without shame. Even Violet, who claimed to be a bad dancer, was having the time of her life. Rimfire and Jake were dancing with them and the three bro's were sitting on the couch, having a good time with each other and with looking at the dancers.  
Dani glanced at them from the corners of her eyes and turned to 'her' girls.  
"I think it's time they are gonna join us, right?"  
Carbine giggled. "Maybe, but this music is not gonna make them move, I can promise you that."  
Dani almost looked offended. "Why not? You are dancing on it too, right?"  
Violet nodded. "She does have a point, you know."  
Gaya looked unsure. "I just don't see them as dancers… More like badass soldiers…"  
Dani swung an arm around her shoulders.  
"Even badass soldiers need some time off to have fun. Go get your men, girls. I am gonna dance with Jake."  
Violet dragged Carbine and Gaya with her to the bro's.  
"Okay, guys. Enough sitting around and doing nothing. Come dance with us!", she yelled, her voice high from excitement and alcohol. The bro's looked at each other.  
"I don't think they are gonna take no for an answer, bro's", Throttle sighed.  
Carbine grabbed his hand and dragged him to the dancefloor. "You're damn right we won't. Come on, handsome, show me what you got."  
Throttle shook his head. "Honestly, how can you move on music like this?"  
He looked at Dani, who was flirting with Jake. He quickly walked to the stereo and searched through the cd's. No heavy metal, but he did found a cd with classic rock. He quickly switched the cd's under loud protest from Dani. The first notes from "Final Countdown" echoed through the scoreboard. Throttle smiled. Better. He walked back to his girl.

Meanwhile, Violet and Gaya were having a hard time to get their men off the couch, but as soon as the music changed, they jumped on their feet.  
"Okay, okay, let's do this", Vinnie sighed, taking Violet's offered hand. She made a noise of excitement and dragged him with her to Carbine and Throttle.  
"Don't know how you do it, but you sure move fast as hell with that cast on your leg, sweetheart", Vinnie said impressed.  
Violet shrugged. "Alcohol is a good painkiller, you know."  
Being the mouse with the most manners, Modo offered his arm to Gaya.  
"May I have this dance, my little darling?", he asked with a solemn look on his face.  
Gaya giggled and took his arm. "Well sure, my lord."  
Modo glanced at her and smiled. They walked over to the rest.  
It turned out the guys did know how to dance. They sure got some great moves. Even Modo, being big as he was, moved his body with a grace nobody had expected. And with his metal arm, he was the best in performing the robot.

Suddenly, the music slowed down. The sound of a piano filled the room.  
The couples looked each other in the eye.

' _Hello darkness, my old friend  
_ _I've come to talk with you again  
_ _Because a vision softly creeping  
_ _Left its seeds while I was sleeping  
_ _And the vision that was planted in my brain  
_ _Still remains  
_ _Within the sound of silence…'_

Throttle and Carbine held each other tightly, slowly moving on the music. Carbine rested her head against Throttle's chest, hearing his heartbeat through the music. She suddenly felt tears in her eyes. God, she loved him so much. Throttle buried his nose in her hair. His girl. What would he do without her? He was glad she was slowly changing into her old self again. That made them closer than ever.

' _...In restless dreams I walked alone  
_ _Narrow streets of cobblestone  
_ _'Neath the halo of a street lamp  
_ _I turned my collar to the cold and damp  
_ _When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light  
_ _That split the night  
_ _And touched the sound of silence…'_

Modo had one arm around Gaya's waist and the other held her hand. Gaya lay her hand on his hip and they slowly turned circles, looking each other in the eye. Gaya smiled at him while looking at the gentle expression on his face. She was so thankful she had found him. Without him, she would be dead by now. Died as a traitor next to Flint. Modo smiled back at her, his little, fragile but oh so strong girl. He never had thought that he would find love after his wife died all these years ago. But here she was. He was never gonna let her go.

' _...And in the naked light I saw  
_ _Ten thousand people, maybe more  
_ _People talking without speaking  
_ _People hearing without listening  
_ _People writing songs that voices never share  
_ _And no one dared  
_ _Disturb the sound of silence…'_

Vinnie had pulled Violet in his arms and rested his forehead against hers. He wrapped his strong arms around her waist and pulled her against his body. They were not really dancing, only slowly turning in circles, completely drowning in each others eyes. It was the weirdest thing to be here on Earth, in the scoreboard with her. All those memories, the most of them with Charley. But no matter how hard he had loved Charley, it was nothing compared what he was feeling for this girl. It was overwhelming sometimes. He sometimes had no idea what to do with it. But he knew one thing; he was nothing without her. He needed her. She had saved him from his demons. He suddenly felt the urge to cry. See? This is what she was doing to him. She made him feel all these things, made him to show his emotions. Violet looked back into his watery, red eyes. Her eyes filled with tears too. He was everything a girl wished for. Even here on Earth, with all these memories and the devastating loss of Charley, he still was with her. And she loved him so much. He had shown her how to enjoy life despite the war. He had learned her feel how strong love is.

' _...Fools, said I, you do not know  
_ _Silence like a cancer grows  
_ _Hear my words that I might teach you  
_ _Take my arms that I might reach you  
_ _But my words, like silent raindrops fell  
_ _And echoed in the wells of silence…'_

Vinnie lifted Violet's head and kissed her. He tried to put all his love for her in it. He deepened the kiss and his tongue slowly slid into her mouth. Violet kissed him back, feeling tingles in her belly. Slowly, it felt like her whole body was on fire. He never had kissed her like this before. Passionate, yes. Rough, yes. Tender, yes. But this… this was a whole other level.

' _...And the people bowed and prayed  
_ _To the neon god they made…'_

His hands slowly moved down on her back, his fingers sliding through the fur that was exposed since her dress was open on the back. Her legs started to shake.

' _...And the sign flashed out its warning  
_ _In the words that it was forming…'_

One hand ended on her ass and grabbed it. The other hand slowly worked his way up again and cupped around the side of her head. His mouth never stopped playing with hers. Her entire body tingled. Her breathing became heavier.

' _...And the sign said, the words of the prophets are written on the subway walls  
_ _And tenement halls…'_

The hand on the side of her head slowly slid down again and he pushed her against him, hard. His breathing also became heavier, his kissing became rougher… Violet moaned and a low growl escaped his mouth.

' _...And whispered in the sounds of silence..'._

The music slowly died, along with the spell. Violet suddenly realized they were not alone and her eyes flew open. With reluctance, she broke off the kiss. Vinnie sighed and opened his eyes, looking almost lazy at her.  
"Sweetheart…", he smiled at her. Violet was still speechless. Her body was still tingling. She looked around them. Dani was putting another cd in the stereo and the other two couples did not look like they were gonna jump each other. She looked back at Vinnie.  
"Jezus, Vin. That was…"  
"Amazing? Incredible? Mindblowing?"  
"Heaven…", she smiled, leaning against him.  
Vinnie waved air to himself. "Whoa… danger… falling mouse…"

Suddenly, the door slammed open. Everybody whirled around and looked at the shadow who was standing in the door opening. For a moment, nothing happened. The shadow didn't move, neither were the party people. But then it dawned on them and they all came into action. Vinnie dove to his gun and Modo ripped his jacket off, freeing his arm cannon. Throttle also grabbed his gun and they pointed their weapons at the shadow, who still hadn't moved. Well, the weapons did it. The figure stepped inside, his hands raised.  
"Wow, easy! I'm a mouse! I mean no harm!"  
Vinnie narrowed his eyes while looking at the intruder. It was indeed a mouse with a silver fur. He wore ripped clothes and looked like he hadn't a proper meal in months. He was, by the looks of things, unarmed. But it was the look on his face that gave Vinnie a weird feeling. His instinct was telling him not to trust this guy. And his instinct was always right. He was about to say something, but then…  
"Liam?!"  
The silver furred mouse looked behind Vinnie.  
"Violet?!"  
Vinnie also looked behind him, not lowering his gun. Violet eyes were wide open, staring at the intruding mouse.  
"You know him, sweetheart?", Vinnie asked with a low voice.  
Violet gave herself a mental shake. She walked over to the mouse and when she was standing next to him, she raised her hands.  
"Guys, please, lower your guns. I know him. This is Liam, my eh… my ex…", she said, the last part brought a bloss on her cheeks.  
Vinnie stared at her. No way… No fucking way…

* * *

Please review. :)


	18. Chapter 18

Thanks for the reviews! Really happy with them! :)  
Mace is dead, Vinnie shot him in the head. A quick and painfree death, like they had promised.  
Dani and Jake are flirting, still finding out if it's gonna work. Both Jake and Rimfire are quit young. Well, time will tell.

Beware, long chapter ahead!

* * *

 **Chapter eighteen**

Vinnie looked at Throttle, his weapon still pointed at Liam. Throttle saw the look on his face, but decided now was not the time to talk about it.  
"Lower your guns, bro's", he said, but the tone in his voice gave his bro's the warning to stay on guard. Liam looked at Violet and pulled her in his arms.  
"Violet, I can't believe you are here! I thought you were dead!", he said with disbelief in his voice. Violet clapped his back a little unhandy and stepped back.  
"Same here, I can't believe this… How did you end up here?", she asked, but with a smile on her face.  
Vinnie crossed his arms before his chest, clearly not amused. This must be the guy who she had told him about. The one who ditched her after the whole parent losing thing, claiming he didn't want to be with a murderer. Then why was she so happy to see him?  
Throttle intervened.  
"I am truly sorry to interrupt this lovely reunion, but I really have one burning question. How did you find us?", he asked with a low voice. Maybe Violet did knew him, but the tan furred mouse was not amused by the fact someone had found them. Worse, someone had found them on a moment they weren't on their guard. Dammit. He was mad at himself that he had thought for one moment they were safe. _Never lower your guard_. He heard Stokers words echoing in his head. It was kind of luck that this guy seemed to mean no harm. But still…  
Liam chuckled nervously, feeling the hostile looks on the faces of the mice. He looked around him and saw Dani. His eyes grew big. A human? And they were being hostile against him? Weird…  
"I heard rumours. I was a prisoner on Plutark, until we suddenly were released and send to Earth. I had no place to go, but thankfully, I had made friends in prison. A guy named Bruce took me with him to his place. He had told me in prison he had seen Martian Mice before. They were crashed on Earth years ago, into this scoreboard. Bruce was sitting in the audience that day. I thought, I am going to check it out. Didn't thought I would actually find you… partying…", he trailed off.  
Violet looked at him.  
"Are you okay, Liam?", she asked worried. Liam shook his head.  
"Not really… I eh… I'm still weak from my time as prisoner. It was a really hard time…", he said, suddenly a sad expression on his face.  
Violet, being Violet, immediately felt responsible to take care of him.  
"I'm sorry, Liam… Come, sit down. I will grab you some foot and after that, you can take a shower. Vinnie will have some clothes for you."  
Vinnie snorted and rolled his eyes. Violet ignored him and escorted him to the couch.  
"If you guys introduce, I will grab some food and something to drink", she said to the others and walked to the kitchen.  
Throttle introduced everyone, except Vinnie. He knew the white furred mouse wanted to introduce himself. Well, he usually wanted to. Now, he didn't look that happy at all.  
"Name's Vinnie. Violet's husband…"  
Liam tried to hide his shock and thought he succeeded, but Vinnie saw him flinch. He narrowed his eyes. Nope. He didn't liked this guy at all…  
Violet came back with a few hotdogs and a can of rootbeer. She gave it to Liam and sat down next to him. She rubbed his back. Liam stuffed the hotdogs in his mouth and flushed it away with the rootbeer.  
"Ah, this is good. Thanks Violet", he smiled at her.  
Violet smiled back. "No problem. How long have you been on Plutark?"  
Liam's face darkened. "A year or so. I really don't wanna talk about it. It was a bad time…" His eyes filled with tears.  
Violet took his hand. "Well, if you are ready to talk, I'm here. No use to hold it all back, right?"  
Liam nodded, squeezing her hand. "Thanks Vi. You always were kind to me. I'm so sorry for everything I have said to you. I didn't mean it. I just… well… I was naive… But I've learned my lesson now."  
"It's okay, Liam."  
Vinnie was about to interrupt them, but Throttle was faster.  
"I really need some fresh air after all that dancing. Modo? Vincent? Coming with me?", he said while climbing up the ladder. He shared a look with Carbine, to tell her to keep an eye on this. She nodded at him and sat down at the couch. Modo walked to the ladder, grabbing Vinnie in the process. He pushed the white furred mouse up and followed him. Once on the roof, Throttle turned around to face them and opened his mouth, but Vinnie was faster.  
"I don't trust him."  
Throttle looked at his younger bro, who was obviously upset.  
"Based on what?"  
"Well, I eh… it's just a feeling, bro. Can't really describe it, but my instinct is telling me not to trust him."  
"And you are sure you aren't just… well eh… jealous?", Modo asked with caution. Vinnie's eyes were fuming while he was looking at his big bro.  
"Yeah, I am sure. Come on bro's, am I the only one feeling this?"  
Throttle rubbed his chin. "Well… The guy did nothing wrong. So, I say we'll keep an eye on him, but for now… I think he is harmless."  
Modo nodded. "Agreed."  
Vinnie shook his head. "Bro's, come on. Don't leave me hanging here…"  
Throttle held up his hand. "I don't leave you hanging. But we can't do anything about it based on a just a hunch. We will keep an eye on him, okay?"  
Vinnie cursed in Martian, but raised his hands. "Fine", he snapped. He turned around and jumped down, completely ignoring the existence of the ladder. He saw Liam disappearing into the bathroom. He marched straight to Violet and grabbed her arm.  
"We need to talk. Now."  
Violet yanked herself free. "You are hurting me!"  
Vinnie turned around to look her in the eye. "Talk. NOW."  
Violet gritted her teeht, but followed him outside.

Once the door closed behind her, she pulled at Vinnie's tail, hard. He yelped and turned around to say something, but Violet was faster.  
"Don't you ever, EVER, treat me like that again, mister!", she yelled, her finger pointing at his face. Vinnie raised his hands.  
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry, sweetheart. I am just a little bit on edge here. Gee, I wonder why… OH! Maybe it has something to do with your ex walking in and you are jumping on him like you really missed him? Hmmm, yeah, that must be it!", he said sarcastic, his eyes fuming. Violet laughed, she couldn't help it.  
"You've got to be kidding me. Look who's talking! When Harley suddenly popped up, you sure didn't do anything to fight her off. And what about Dani? Jezus, you are surrounded by girls who have a crush on you and here you are, accusing me because I am just being friendly at an old friend who had a rough time!"  
"An old friend? Right! Your EX, Violet. Who dumped you, by the way, because he didn't want to be with a murderer. He dumped you when you needed him the most, in case you forgot?", Vinnie snarled.  
Violet's cheeks turned red with anger.  
"Maybe he did, but nobody deserved to be treated like he was on Plutark. I don't care anymore that he dumped me. It was a long time ago. I moved on, so did he…"  
"Right", Vinnie interrupted her, his tail lashing through the air. "By the way he looks at you, he absolutely didn't move on, sweetheart. And when I told him I was your husband, he almost started crying. The guy is all over you. I don't trust him. I don't want you near him, understood?"  
Violet exploded. "You are not gonna tell me what to do! I make my own decisions, remember? You need to trust me like I am trusting you. I never told you to stay away from Harley, right? I never told you to stay away from Dani, right?", she screamed at him, tears in her eyes, fists clenched.  
"I do trust you. I don't trust him. And at this point, your being naive. You can't save everyone, okay? When the guy comes out of the shower, I will kick him out and he is never gonna set a foot in here, you understand? And I don't want to see you near him! He is no good!" Vinnie said between clenched teeth.  
Violet gave a scream in frustration. "Oh come on! Admit it, you are jealous! Stop putting this on him, he is a good guy! I know him my entire life!"  
Vinnie shook his head. "You can say whatever you want, but this is final. I am saying this to protect you, sweetheart."  
Violet was shaking in anger. "No one is telling me what to do. I did everything to give you space. To let you know that I am trusting you. Harley, Dani… I listened to you when you were grieving about Charley. Listened to every time you told me you still loved her. Do you know how that feels?! WELL?! DO YOU?!"  
Vinnie narrowed his eyes. "Ah, so that is the problem here. Charley. I can't believe you are saying this. You fucking told me, no, BEGGED me to tell what had happened. You said I could always talk to you when I was needing it. And now you are accusing me for saying all those things? COME ON! Jezus Violet, this has nothing to do with jealousy. I don't trust him! Why…"  
"Stop it, Vincent. Stop lying. This has everything to do with jealousy. And the reason why I am so upset, is because I have to deal with all the girls around you and my ex shows up and you are forbidding me to come close to him? Talk about being childish. I thought you were finally growing up, but obviously, I was wrong!" and with that, Violet stormed inside, leaving Vinnie behind.  
He slowly sat down on the tribune, but suddenly anger took over. He jumped up and grabbed the railing next to the stairs and yanked it loose. He threw it away and the iron bar clattered on the lower tribune with a satisfying noise. He was breathing heavily. Dammit. He needed to calm down before he was going back inside. How was it possible that on this great evening, after their super mushy romantic dance, things had escalated this quickly? He was only trying to protect his girl. A girl who had thought was the one for him. But after the things she had said… he wasn't so sure anymore. He gave himself a mental shake. Come on. Sure she was still the one for him. The things she had said, hurted him. But he didn't want to lose her… Vinnie sat down on the tribune and stared at the field. Maybe he did overreact a little bit. He said it wasn't about jealousy, but was that true? Well, even before he knew the guy was her ex, he immediately had the feeling he couldn't trust him. So it wasn't all about jealousy. But seeing her with him, made him even more angry. He sighed. Suddenly, the door opened and he looked behind him. Throttle walked outside and closed the door. He sat down next to his younger bro.  
"You okay, Vin?", he asked. Vinnie shook his head.  
"I am not. I can't believe her. She is always about giving people second chances, and I admire her for that. But now, she is being naive. I just want to protect her, you know?"  
Throttle had a thoughtful frown on his face. He wasn't quit following his younger bro. The guy only walked in and Vinnie acted like he tried to kill them all. Why was he so upset about this?  
"Why is she being naive? It's not like the guy tried something, right?"  
"Well no, but…"  
"You sure you aren't just jealous? And this time, the truth."  
Vinnie stared at his feet. "Well, maybe I am… A little bit… But Throttle, please listen to me. When he walked in and before I even know he was Violet's ex, I got this feeling not to trust him."  
"I already told you, we will keep an eye on him. I didn't told you to make a huge scene with you girl."  
"How I handle things in my relationship is none of your business."  
"It is, since we are all living together and I need to make sure everyone is okay. And I know you guys belong together. I would hate to see if things are going wrong because of some other guy…"  
Vinnie looked at his bro and sighed.  
"Okay. Maybe I did overreact a little... "  
Throttle chuckled. "Not the first time. Make it up with your girl, Vin. You need her. She needs you. We will keep an eye on Liam. We got your back bro, you know that, right?"  
Vinnie nodded. "Yeah, I know… Thanks Throttle."  
"Anytime, Vinnie my man, any time."

Meanwhile, Liam came out of the bathroom. Violet was still very upset about her fight with Vinnie, but she pushed it aside and smiled at Liam.  
"Feeling better?"  
Liam nodded, but he still had a sad expression on his face. "Yeah, it helped… A little…"  
Carbine slowly stood up from the couch and looked at Liam.  
"I am sorry to say this, but you can't stay here. There is not enough room for another mouse. But you can stay with your friend, right?"  
Liam looked shocked, but quickly recovered. "Yeah, yeah… I can stay with him… No problem…"  
Violet narrowed her eyes. Something was wrong. She walked over to him and took his hand.  
"Liam, what is wrong?"  
Liam shook his head. "Nothing. I will leave. I don't want to be a intruder here, or cause problems between you and your husband. It's okay, Violet." But he didn't sound okay. Violet felt like shit. She was gonna kill Vinnie. The poor guy was obviously damaged because of his time as prisoner and she couldn't help him, because her beloved husband was jealous. She sighed.  
"I'm sorry, Liam. But a lot has happened and everybody is a little bit on edge. But we can meet tomorrow? At the park?"  
Liam's face lit up. "Yeah, I would love that!"  
Violet smiled. "I will see you tomorrow then. One o'clock, okay?"  
Liam nodded. "Okay, see you tomorrow. Bye Violet. Bye guys!" and he quickly left the scoreboard. Carbine looked at Violet.  
"Are you sure about this, Violet? I hate to say it, but meeting with him is not a really good idea, I guess…"  
"Why not? He is just an old friend who needs help. I can't just leave him hanging, right?"  
"Well… I don't know… You can't rescue everybody, you know…"  
Violet clenched her fists. "Now you sound like Vinnie. What is wrong with everybody? I just want to help an old friend, a guy I grew up with! What is so wrong about that?"  
Carbine sighed. She was too tired to have this conversation.  
"Can we please clean up the mess and go to sleep?"  
Gaya, Dani, Jake, Modo and Rimfire stood up to help her. Violet was about to help too, when Throttle and Vinnie walked in. She froze and stared at Vinnie. He looked calm. Throttle walked over to her.  
"I think you guys need to talk."  
Violet said nothing and didn't move. Vinnie walked over to her.  
"Listen, I'm sorry, okay? I shouldn't have said those things. It's just, I have a bad feeling about this guy, and that feeling was already there before you recognized him as your ex. Maybe I am a little bit jealous, but I trust you. I just don't trust him. I want to protect you. You can be a little bit gullible sometimes, sorry to say…"  
Violet took a deep breath.  
"I don't need your protection. You can trust me."  
"I know, sweetheart."  
"Good. That's why I am meeting with him tomorrow. He needs someone to talk to and…", but she couldn't finish her sentence.  
"WHAT? No dice, sweetheart", Vinnie growled, his fist clenched, his tail lashing through the air. The others stopped with what they were doing and looked over to the couple.  
Violet rolled her eyes. "You just said you trust me. So, I don't see the problem here?"  
Vinnie had enough. He pointed his finger at her.  
"Fine. You do your thing. Start your next project of saving someone from his demons. But if somethings goes wrong, don't come to me. I really would hate it to say 'I told you so'. Well, on the other hand, it would be very satisfying."  
He turned around and ripped off his jacket. He marched into the bathroom and shut the door with a bang. A minute later he came out, dressed in his normal outfit. He jumped on his bike and left the scoreboard. Silence dawned on the rest of the group. Violet just stood there, speechless. Throttle sighed and felt a pounding headache. Carbine walked over to Violet.  
"Come on, we are gonna clean up the mess and go to sleep. There is nothing we can do right now." Violet nodded and followed Carbine.  
An hour later, the scoreboard was back to normal and everybody was lying in bed, the males snoring loud. Violet was lying in Vinnie's hammock, alone. She stared at the ceiling. Maybe she needed to tell Liam to stay away from her. But that felt so wrong. She didn't want anything from the guy, she loved Vinnie. She would never leave him for Liam. But she wanted to help him. Obviously, he wasn't feeling okay. He needed someone to talk to. Was she really gonna listen to her jealous husband? The answer was no. She was a independent woman. She made her own choices. Vinnie will come around. And she was gonna meet Liam tomorrow. She closed her eyes and sank into a restless sleep.

The next morning, Violet woke up early. She opened her eyes and felt immediately that Vinnie wasn't lying next to her. She jerked upright, feeling panic, but then she saw his bike. So he did came back. She looked around the scoreboard and saw him sleeping on a stretcher, next to Jake. A uncomfortable feeling crept over her. The fact that he wasn't sleeping next to her, meant that he was still upset. Maybe this was a quarrel that wasn't gonna be solved that easily. She sighed. Last night was… intens. The anger she had felt, was unusual for her. But she knew she never couldn't handle it very well when someone was limiting her freedom . Why couldn't he just trust her? But he did, she contradicted herself. He had said it himself. He did trust her. He just didn't trust Liam. But why? She knew him her entire life. She grew up with him. Sure, the way he had broke up with her, didn't deserve a beauty prize. But still… Violet suddenly realized the things she had said yesterday. She crossed a line. She knew she did. Now it was time to fix it. Time to wake Vinnie up. But when she was standing next to him, she smelled alcohol. Hmmm… So macho mouse got himself drunk last night… Maybe for the best if she would let him sleep for a couple of hours...  
No. This has to be fixed. She kneeled down next to the white furred mouse and shook him. He moaned and turned around. She shook him again, harder this time.  
"Vinnie, wake up. Come on…"  
He opened his eyes and looked at her over his shoulder.  
"What do you want?", he growled.  
"We need to talk."  
He turned around and faced her.  
"About what, sweetheart? You made yourself perfectly clear last night. You don't want to listen to me. Fine. But that means you need to leave me out of it. I want nothing to do with it."  
Violet felt tears in her eyes. Was it all worth it? Helping Liam could cost her relationship, apparently. It was not worth it. But it was some kind of principle. He needed to trust her. And give her a chance to prove herself.  
"Listen, if this is so important to you, fine, I won't go talk to Liam. But come on, Vin. You know you have nothing to worry about, right? Give me a chance to show you you can trust me…"  
Vinnie sighed and closed his eyes.  
"I already told you like a hundred times or so, I do trust you. I just don't trust him. I can't explain, but I have this feeling about him. And it's not only jealousy. But I don't want to be that guy who needs to forbid his girl to see someone. Apparently, this is important for you, god knows why. So, you do what you have to do. I just don't agree with it. Is that good enough for ya?"  
Violet bit her lip. It didn't feel right. It wasn't good enough. She wanted his approval. But her stubbornness made her stick to her point.  
"Yeah, good enough. Are we cool?"  
"Yeah, we're cool."  
But Violet could see in his eyes they weren't. She had hurted him.  
"I'm sorry for everything I said yesterday. I was angry, I didn't mean it. You can always talk to me, you know that right?", she said, touching his face.  
Vinnie turned away his face. "It's okay."  
"No, it's not okay. You are obviously not okay. Please, be honest with me."  
"I am. It's fine. But I need to sleep now, if you don't mind. My head is killing me", he mumbled while closing his eyes. Violet stared at him, but then stood up. He needed some time. He will come around. Right?

When Violet left the board, everybody was still sleeping. All tired from the mission and the party. She was glad she could drive by herself with the cast around her leg. Luckily, the pain was gone, so it was no problem to use her leg. Thank the Mothers of Mars for the quick healing of Martian Mice.  
When she arrived at the park, she saw Liam sitting on a bench. When he heard her engine, he looked her way. A smile appeared on his face and when she stopped next to him, he stood up.  
"Wauw, your bike is awesome!", he said impressed. Violet pulled of her helmet and smiled.  
"Yeah, I know right? It was a gift from Vinnie."  
When she said his name, his smile quickly vanished, but he recovered himself.  
"Well, that's nice of him."  
Liam sat down again and Violet joined him. There was an awkward silence for a minute. Violet took a deep breath.  
"Liam, I…" but at the same time, Liam opened his mouth too.  
"Is your…"  
They both stopped talking and laughed.  
"Okay, you first", Violet said, still smiling.  
"I wanted to ask if your husband is okay with you being here. I don't wanna stand between you", Liam said, playing with his fingers.  
"He is not okay with me being here, but I don't care. He will get over it. No worries.", Violet said determined, but with a nagging feeling of insecurity. Liam nodded.  
"Okay. Good. Your turn."  
"I wanted to ask you if you're okay. After everything that happened?"  
Liam took a deep, shaky breath. "Well, my time as a prisoner was hard. I'm not ready to talk about it. But I'm glad you are here by my side. I've missed you…", he said, gently taking her hand.  
Violet stared at their hands together and she slowly withdrew her hand.  
"I eh… I can't say I've missed you too. We had such a great time together, but at the moment I needed you the most, you let me down… You called me a murderer…"  
"I know, I know… And I am so sorry about that… I was scared, okay? With the whole war going on, I… When I heard you killed your own father, I was in shock. Later on, I understood what really had happened. But my mom… Well, she told me a different story. So… Well, I know this all sounds like lame excuses. I can not justify what I've done. I can only tell you I am really sorry."  
Liam sounded really desperate and tears filled his eyes while he was saying all this. Violet looked in his eyes and saw the regret in his eyes. She sincerely believed he was sorry. So, she forgave him. It was in her nature to give people second chances. And no matter what Vinnie told her, he was not a bad guy.  
"It's okay, Liam. It's a while ago now, and I'm doing fine now. Let's forget about it, okay?"  
Liam nodded and wiped off his face. "Thank you, Violet. You haven't changed a bit. Always so forgiving."  
Violet smiled. "I am not the same, innocent girl anymore, Liam. I'm with the Freedom Fighters now. We fight for our lives, our species… I've killed people… Well, Plutarkians. I'm a soldier now. But yeah, I still do believe in second chances."  
Liam smiled back at her. She was so beautiful. How was it possible he had let her go back then? Talk about a stupid move. From the moment he had saw her, he felt whole again. He needed her. And he was going to do everything to make her his again. Even if she was married now. Ah well… everything can be broken… They belonged together. And he knew exactly how to play Violet. He grinned.  
"What are you smiling about?" Violet's voice broke him from his thoughts.  
"I was just thinking that it's a true miracle that I've found you. That you are still alive. Maybe it's a sign…"  
Violet felt a little bit uncomfortable with that comment. He knew she was with Vinnie, right? She gave herself a mental shake. Of course he knew. Thankfully, he dropped the subject.  
"So, tell me… What is your story, Vi? How did you end up here?"  
"Well, it all started after my parents died…"  
They sat at the park the whole day, chattering about everything that had happened. Liam slowly opened up a little bit about his time as prisoner and it was not a pretty story. Violet felt sorry for him. She vowed to herself she was gonna be there for him, no matter what. He had nobody left. Nobody should be alone.  
Right?

When she came back at the scoreboard, only Carbine, Dani and Gaya were there. Violet pulled off her helmet, looking around.  
"Where is everybody?", she wondered. Carbine looked up from her book.  
"They are at the lake. We decided to stay here, in case you would come back early."  
Violet slowly nodded and stepped off her bike. She grabbed a can of rootbeer and sat down next to Carbine. The grey furred female kept reading. Violet sighed.  
"Are you also mad at me?"  
Carbine looked up, surprised.  
"No, I am not mad at you. But I have to admit, you are acting a little weird. Why are being so stubborn? Why don't you just leave the guy?"  
Violet stared at her can rootbeer. "He is my friend… Since when it's a problem if you help a friend?"  
"Since Vinnie asked you not to. Why are you putting your relationship on the line for this?"  
Violet stared at Carbine. "Since when do you pick Vinnie's side?"  
Carbine sighed and grabbed Violet's hand.  
"I'm picking nobody's side. I only try to understand what is going on…"  
"I will tell you what is going on. Vinnie is being jealous and he need to learn he can trust me. He is making a way too big deal out of this. We are married, but he is not controlling me. I can do whatever I want. He always does, but nobody is saying something about THAT."  
Carbine laughed, she just couldn't help it.  
"Are you kidding me? We are trying to control Vinnie from the moment he is with us, and that is a long time, Violet. He is just stubborn as hell. Same as you. But sometimes in a relationship, you need to make both concessions."  
Violet thought about it. "So you are saying I need to listen to him, and leave Liam alone? Because he is jealous?"  
Carbine sighed. "Because it's hurting him."  
Violet frowned. Maybe she was right. Maybe she needed to set aside her pride and stop seeing Liam, for Vinnie. But that felt wrong. Somehow… God, what a mess. It was against everything she was. But she loved Vinnie, deeply. He was way more important than Liam, right? Yeah, of course he was. But she didn't want to be in a relationship where she couldn't be herself.  
"I don't know what to do, Carbine. I love Vinnie, but I still want to be myself, you know? It's in my nature to help people. And Liam is not just someone who is walking by, I grew up with him. So I need to leave him hanging because Vinnie is jealous?"  
Carbine shook her head. "You need to follow your heart. But talk to Vinnie. He was awfully quiet today."  
Violet nodded. "I will."

In the meantime, the guys were hanging on the beach. Vinnie had a huge hangover and was lying in the sun, eyes closed. He had said about three words today, and it was worrying Throttle and Modo. When Jake and Rimfire went swimming, Throttle looked over to Vinnie.  
"Yo, Vin. You and Violet okay again?"  
Vinnie only nodded, his eyes still closed.  
"Right. Why being so quiet then?"  
Vinnie ignored him.  
Modo sighed. "Come on, little bro. Talk to us."  
Vinnie sighed. "My head is killing me, bro's. Violet and I talked this morning, and she still went to see Liam. So yeah, we are FINE!", he growled the last part, his eyes still closed. He clenched his fists.  
"Come on, bro. Why are you making such a big deal out of this?", Modo asked, not understanding why Vinnie was so upset. The white furred mouse jerked upright and looked at Modo with fuming eyes.  
"A big deal? A big deal? She is my girl. I want her save. I don't trust him. But she refuse to listen to me. Keeps telling me I'm jealous. But that's the whole point. I AM NOT! But it seems that everybody keeps thinking I am some stupid moron, who is extremely possessive over his girl."  
Modo held his hands before his body. "Chill bro, chill. We don't think you are a stupid moron. Only telling you to let it slip for now. Just wait and see."  
"You see, telling me to wait and see is the prove you guys don't believe me either. What if the guy is bad news and Violet gets hurt?"  
Throttle intervened. "Stop it, both of you. Vinnie, I hear you, okay? But for now, we wait and see. We will keep an close eye on Violet."  
Vinnie gave up and lay back on the ground. "Fine."  
Modo shook his head, but dropped the subject.  
"Say, Throttle. What are the plans now Mozz is gone? Are we going back to Coelum?", the grey furred giant asked. Throttle shook his head.  
"Mozz is gone for now, but we all know he is coming back. It's for the best if we'll stick around a little longer."  
Vinnie opened one eye. "And what about that drill?"  
Throttle rubbed his chin. "We can try to find out where it is. But for now, let's enjoy the peace for a few days. We all are tired."  
Modo looked at Rimfire and Jake, wrestling in the water.  
"And Dani? You think it's safe for her to home?"  
"Yeah, I think it is. Not sure if she wants to go back, though…", Throttle said, looking at Jake.  
"And what if she don't want to? You are letting her stay with us? I hate to say it, but it didn't end very well with our previous human friend…", Modo said with a quick glance at Vinnie. But the white furred mouse said nothing, his eyes still closed. Throttle sighed.  
"I know, but it's her own choice. She knows the risks. Maybe we gotta learn her how to fight. So she can handle herself when things are going wrong."  
Modo nodded. "So, she will come with us back to Coelum when the time is there?"  
"If that's what she wants, I'm fine with it."  
"And what about Liam?", Vinnie suddenly asked, his eyes open and looking at Throttle.  
"Is he gonna come with us too?"  
Throttle shrugged. "I don't know if that's a good idea. We will see, okay? For now, we are staying on Earth."  
Vinnie closed his eyes again, for now satisfied with that answer. But he vowed to himself; that guy was never gonna be on their spaceship when the time was there. Ooohh no. He was gonna make sure he wasn't.

When the guys came back at the scoreboard later that night, they saw something lying by the front door.  
"What the hell is that?", Vinnie asked while stepping off his bike.  
He walked to the object on the floor. Flowers. Beautiful, red roses. He picked them up and searched for a card. He found it eventually in the middle of the flowers. Throwing the flowers on the ground, he opened the card. While he was reading it, his breathing became heavier and his tail started to lash. Throttle quickly jumped off his bike and walked over to him. Vinnie looked at him, handing over the card.  
"Still think the guy is harmless?", he growled.  
Throttle ignored him and opened the card.

" _My dear Violet,_

 _I had such a great time today. You truly are an angel in disguise. Thanks for your help today. It made me realize how much I've missed you. And how much I'm regretting it that I've let you go back then. I know we truly belong together, and I'm gonna fight for it. For you. For our love._

 _I'll see you soon. Sweet dreams tonight. I'm sure I will._

 _With love,  
_ _Liam, your true lover."_

Throttle stared at the words and then at Vinnie. "Eh, okay. This is kinda creepy…" He gave the card to Modo. The grey furred giant's eye grew big while he was reading. Jake and Rimfire wanted to know what was wrong, but Throttle sended them inside.  
"Okay bro's. Looks like Violet has a admirer. But we know she would never leave you, Vinnie. She is head over heels with you. I trust her. But I've got a nagging feeling this guy is not gonna take no for an answer…", Throttle said with a thoughtful frown on his face.  
"Well, I can be very convincing", Vinnie said, cracking his knuckles.  
"I think for now, we need to let Violet handle this. I'm sure she is not gonna appreciate it if we pay Liam a visit behind her back. And Liam will use that against us", Modo said.  
"Good point, big fella."  
Vinnie shook his head. "No way. She is way too friendly and kind to solve this by herself. Let me talk to this guy and…" but Throttle interrupted him.  
"I know your 'talks', Vincent. No, I agree with Modo. Violet needs to…"  
"Violet needs what?", they suddenly heard behind them. The three bro's almost jumped out off their fur and whirled around. Violet stood before them with her arms crossed.  
"Well?", she asked, the tip of her tail twitching. Vinnie sighed and grabbed the card out of Modo's hand and gave it to Violet.  
"Your 'friend' left you a message", he snarled. Violet narrowed her eyes at him, but said nothing. She opened the card. Vinnie was waiting impatiently till she was done. Violet closed it and sighed.  
"He obviously has the wrong idea about us. I will tell him we are only friends. That will solve it. Okay?"  
Vinnie stared at her. "Eh, no? Not okay. I don't want you to see him. Ever. Understand?"  
Violet rolled her eyes. Here we go again. But Throttle quickly intervened.  
"Vincent, calm down. Violet, you have to admit, this letter is kinda… creepy… Are you sure you can handle this alone?"  
Violet nodded. "Yeah of course. It's a good guy. I will explain him and everything will be fine. Jezus, you guys are acting like he is our enemy."  
Modo sighed and took her hand.  
"Violet, we just want the best for you. We all do. You are part of our family. I would hate it if something would happen to you…"  
"It will be okay. Trust me on this. The next time I see him, I'll tell him. No problem."  
Modo nodded. Throttle too. Vinnie put his chin in the air and crossed his arms, but said nothing. Throttle signed to Modo to leave the two alone so they could talk. When they were gone, Violet looked at Vinnie.  
"Vin, come on…"  
Vinnie looked her in the eye and sighed.  
"Do your thing. Whatever", he said, waving his hand and walked inside the scoreboard. His bike followed him.  
Violet let out her breath. Dammit.

* * *

Uh, oh... Trouble in paradise.  
Please review! :)


	19. Chapter 19

You guys, thank you so much for the reviews! :D

* * *

 **Chapter nineteen**

The next few days, nothing really happened. Vinnie and Violet were on speaking terms, but it was different. Vinnie kept a curtain distance between them. Violet tried to talk about it, but Vinnie didn't gave her the chance. He kept saying Violet needed to do whatever she wanted. He gave the impression he was mad about it, but actually; he was hurt. Very hurt. The fact that she apparently thought that the troubles between them were worth it to be a friend for Liam… He just couldn't wrap his mind about it.  
And then there was the fact she kept accusing him for being jealous. His heart was sore. But he didn't tell her all that. No, she wouldn't listen. So, he pushed her away. Like he always did when he was feeling sad. It broke his heart, actually. Violet was usually always there for him. But now, he felt he couldn't talk with her because she didn't believe him. So, he suffered alone.  
His bro's were there for him, of course. But they kept saying that Violet needed to handle this. That he was overreacting. So, after a few conversations that always ended with a fight, Vinnie decided to keep his mouth shut.  
Fuck them all. He felt betrayed by his own family.

"So, what are the plans for tonight?", Dani asked during dinner. She looked around the group.  
Jake gave her a shy smile. "Maybe, a movie?", he asked, blushing.  
Dani tilted her head and a smile curled her lips. "Are you asking me on a date, Jake?"  
"Eh.. I.. eh… Yeah… I think I am…", he stuttered. Poor guy.  
"Cool! I'm in!", Dani said, winking at him. Jake tried to say something, but decided he couldn't find the words. To avoid he would make a total fool of himself, he focused on his diner again.  
Throttle and Modo were whooping, expecting Vinnie to make some sort of mushy comment, but the white furred mouse stayed silent. He was playing with his food. Throttle and Modo looked at each other. When Vinnie stopped eating, something was really wrong. Carbine saw it too. But nobody said something.  
"So eh, Dani. We figured it is safe for you to go back home, if that's what you want", Throttle said quickly, taking away the attention from Vinnie.  
Dani was about to take a bite from her hotdog, but froze when she heard these words. She slowly lowered her hand.  
"I eh… Yeah…", she said, clearly upset.  
"We are not forcing you, Dani. It's your choice. If you want to stay with us, we are okay with that", Carbine quickly added.  
Dani swallowed and stared at her plate.  
"I… I don't know, to be honest. Can I think about it?", she asked.  
"Sure. Take your time. We will be here for a while, so take all the time you need."  
Dani looked at Throttle with gratitude in her eyes. "Thank you."

Suddenly, the phone rang. Violet jumped up and grabbed it.  
"Hello?", she asked suspicious, but then her face softened.  
"Hey, Liam."  
Vinnie's head jerked up, his ears twitching.  
"Easy, Liam. Take a deep breath. What is wrong?"  
A silence.  
"Okay, I will be right there. Try to stay calm. See you there in five minutes, okay?" and she hung up.  
"That was Liam, he is really upset about something. Something happened and it reminded him of his time on Plutark, so he is really having a bad time now. I'm going to the park to talk to him."  
Vinnie said nothing, but clenched his teeth with so much strength, it almost hurted.  
Throttle sighed.  
"Violet, are you sure…", but Violet didn't gave him a chance.  
"I am so done with this conversation. I'll see you guys tonight."  
She wanted to give Vinnie a kiss, but halfway she changed her mind. She quickly jumped on her bike and drove out. The tension in the air she left behind, took almost all the oxygen out of the room.  
At that point, Vinnie snapped.  
He jumped from his seet, the chair fell on the ground with a loud bang. He grabbed the kitchen table and threw it upside down. The rest made a hasty retreat while Vinnie was grabbing his chair and threw it against the wall.  
"Wow, wow, wow, settle Vincent, settle!", Throttle tried to talk sense into the white mouse, but Vinnie didn't hear it. He grabbed another chair and slammed it on the ground.  
"The NERVE of that girl, is she CRAZY? GOD DAMMIT, what the fuck is WRONG with her!?", he screamed.  
Throttle nodded to Modo and they both jumped on the white mouse and pushed him against the floor. Strangely, Vinnie didn't struggle. He just lay there, like he didn't had the strength to fight back.  
"Are you calm?", Throttle gasped in his ear. Vinnie didn't respond.  
"Vincent. Are you calm?", Throttle repeated. Vinnie gave a small nod and his bro's let him go.  
Vinnie slowly got upright, but didn't stand up. Throttle moved closer to him.  
"Why are you so upset? What is eating you, bro?"  
Vinnie shook his head. "Never mind. Sorry about the mess, bro's." He slowly got up on his feet and walked over to his bike. He sat down on her seat and put on his helmet.  
"Where are you going, Vincent?", Throttle asked urgently.  
But Vinnie ignored him and sped away. Carbine stopped Throttle from going after him.  
"Leave him. This is not our fight."  
Throttle looked at her with disbelief. "We are family. And he is upset. God knows in what kind of trouble he is gonna get himself into…"  
Modo shook his head. "I'm with Carbine in this. He needs to learn how to solve his own problems. Let's give him that chance and trust."  
Throttle sighed. "Okay. But when things get out control, don't come to me."

Meanwhile, Violet arrived at the park. She saw that Liam was already there. She jumped of her bike and ran over to him.  
"Liam, are you okay?", she asked worried. Liam was sitting on the same bench and looked up at her with agony on his face.  
"Vi. I'm so glad you came. I… I…", but he couldn't speak further. He broke into tears. Violet quickly sat down next to him and took him in her arms.  
"Shhhh, it's okay. You're safe now, you know that right?"  
Liam took a few deep breaths.  
"I know… But all those memories… They just keep haunting me… I can't escape from them…"  
Violet rubbed his back. "Time will heal. Till then, try to stay strong. Fight it. I know you can."  
Liam grabbed her hand and looked her in the eye.  
"Vi… I don't know what I would do without you. Thank you…"  
Violet smiled at him, but suddenly remembered his note.  
"Liam, listen… I got your message and the flowers. Thanks for that, but you know I'm married now, right? I'm your friend, I will always be there for you, but as a friend and nothing more. I love Vinnie and I want to be with him for the rest of my life…"  
She studied Liam's face while talking to him. He stared blankly back at her. Nothing happened. Okay, that's kinda weird…  
"I know we belong together, Violet. And I know you know it too. You are just in denial for now. But that's okay. You will realize I'm way better for you then that white furred jerk. And I've got all the time in the world."  
Violet stared at him. "Eh, Liam… No. That is not gonna happen. I moved on. I loved you once, but my heart belongs to Vinnie now."  
Liam laughed. "Keep telling yourself that, Vi. But I know better. Why are you even here with me, while your husband doesn't approve? If you really love him that much, you would tell me to back off. No, I know that deep down there, you still love me."  
Violet shook her head. She couldn't believe her ears. Was he even listening to himself?  
"Liam, I'm here because I'm your friend. That my husband doesn't approve, is his problem. He needs to trust me. That we have a little problem right now, doesn't mean I don't love him anymore. He is the one for me. Not you."  
Liam suddenly jumped up, his eyes fuming.  
"Oh come on! I don't believe you. WE belong TOGETHER. And you know that!"  
Violet looked at him, completely loss at words. Who was he and what did he do to Liam? How was she gonna get through to him that they were done? That they were history?  
"Liam, chill out. You are overreacting. I'm truly sorry that you apparently still have some kind of feelings for me and that I don't feel the same way. I know that's hard to accept, but... " She couldn't finish that sentence.  
Liam grabbed her by the throat.  
"I will have you. We will be together forever. You just need to let your feelings in. Come on, Vi. Stop lying to me and to yourself!"  
Violet grabbed his hand. "You're hurting me…", she squeaked.  
But Liam didn't let go. "Say you love me and I will let you go."  
Violet tried so say something but…  
"Say there, sweetheart. Why don't you just leave the lady alone?"  
Vinnie.  
Violet saw him standing at her right, his gun aimed at Liam's head.  
Liam narrowed his eyes, but let her go. Violet fell on the ground, coughing loud. Vinnie slowly walked closer to Liam. Just inches before him, he stopped and grabbed him by the throat.  
"If I ever, EVER, see you threatening my girl again, I will rip your head off. Understand?", he said with a dangerous low voice.  
Liam nodded and lowered his eyes. Vinnie let him go and picked Violet up from the ground.  
"Let's go, sweetheart."  
Violet held on to Vinnie, but looked at Liam. He was crying.  
"I'm so sorry, Vi…. I… I didn't mean to hurt you… Please, forgive me…"  
Vinnie dragged her with him. Violet looked one more time at Liam, who was lying on the ground. A broken mouse.  
"Vin, wait…", she said softly.  
"No dice, sweetheart." Vinnie jumped on his bike and set Violet behind him with his tail. He kept his tail around her waist, to avoid she was gonna run away. He whistled and Lady Bug joined them. Without saying a word, he drove back to the scoreboard. Violet glanced over her shoulder and saw that Liam was watching them driving away. She sighed. What a mess…

Once back in the scoreboard, Vinnie let Violet go and stepped off his bike. Violet followed his example, feeling like a small kid that did something wrong. She never had thought that Liam would attack her like that. Vinnie grabbed a rootbeer and walked outside. Violet took a deep breath and followed him. Throttle, Modo, Rimfire, Carbine and Gaya shared worried looks, but decided to let the love couple talk first.  
Violet took place next to Vinnie on the tribune, staring at her feet. There was a long silence.  
"Are you okay, sweetheart? Did he hurt you?", Vinnie suddenly asked.  
Violet looked startled. She thought she was gonna get a huge scolding.  
"I'm fine. Only shocked…", she mumbled.  
Vinnie didn't respond. Violet didn't knew what to say. She felt like shit. She really thought she could trust Liam. She hurted Vinnie's feelings to be his friend. To prove he could trust her. And even though he said he trusted her, she hadn't believed him. She had thought he was only jealous. Her stubbornness to prove her point, had broke something between them. Because Vinnie was right. And she wasn't. She had thought that with time, Vinnie was gonna see he could trust both of them. That he would come around. But what happened today… she hadn't see that one coming. Vinnie was right. Liam was dangerous. His imprisonment had changed him. Turned him into someone she didn't knew. He wasn't the same guy anymore. The look in his eyes when he grabbed her by the throat… She shivered and turned to face Vinnie.  
"Listen, Vin… I owe you a huge apology. I am so, so sorry that I didn't believe you… You were right all the time. I should have listened to you…", she said with a voice thick of emotion. Tears filled her eyes. Vinnie was still staring at his feet.  
"Vinnie, please… say something…", Violet sobbed, feeling even more sad because he stayed silent.  
The white furred mouse sighed and faced her.  
"It's ok…", he started, but then he shook his head.  
"No, it's not okay. You really hurt me, you know that? First; by the things you said about Charley… You're always telling me that you are always by my side, to guide me and that I can talk to you about everything. But, apparently, I can't. Apparently, I've hurt your feelings with being honest to you. And that sucks, you know. I gives me the feeling I can't fully open up anymore. If I need to be honest with you, you should too… If something is hurting you, you need to tell me that! At that moment. Don't use it against me in a fight."  
Violet nodded, tears streaming over her face.  
"I know, I know. I'm sorry. And perhaps it's not making any difference, but I was mad. I said those things out of anger, not because they are true. You CAN talk to me about everything. And I will tell you if somethings hurting me…"  
"Second; I had already warned you about Liam. And you didn't listen. And that hurts too, you know? You simply didn't believe me! I know I'm a hothead, and yes, I am easily jealous. But this wasn't about jealousy. You didn't believe me and you choose him over me. To make a point. To prove you were right. Dammit, Vi. You really hurt me. And Liam…", he took a deep breath to calm down, because his rage flamed up again when he thought back at what that jerk had tried to do to his girl. "He attacked you! What if I wasn't there to save you? What if you got hurt because of him?" Vinnie looked at her, breathing heavily.  
Violet's heart broke.  
"Vinnie, you're right about almost everything. I was wrong, I misjudged him, I was stubborn, I should have listen to you… But you are wrong about one thing. I did not choose him over you. You are my macho mouse. I would never leave you. All I wanted was to be a friend. You know me, right? I always want to help people. That was all I ever wanted, to help him. And you were stopping me to do what I do best. And that bothered me. I want to be myself in our relationship. I still want to help people, even we are together. I need that trust."  
"I do trust you, like I already told you. You just didn't trust me."  
Violet broke. She couldn't talk anymore, only cry. Dammit. Why did she let it come so far?  
Suddenly, she felt two strong, familiar arms wrapping around her. Vinnie pulled her against him, rubbing her back.  
"Easy, sweetheart, easy…", he whispered in her ear. She pressed her face against his chest and sniffed up his scent. That helped her to calm down a little bit. Vinnie just held her, whispering sweet words in her ear. Slowly, she stopped crying. He put a finger under her chin and lifted her head. She looked in his ruby, red eyes. He looked back in her watery, green eyes.  
"Sweetheart. It's okay. I forgive you. You really thought I would let you go because of this? No way. I still know we belong together. But please, next time… Well, I better hope there isn't gonna be a next time, but if there is… You need to know that I would never stop you from being you. Only when my instinct is telling me there is something wrong. Because my instinct is almost always right. I would never, ever stop you from being you out of jealousy. Understand?"  
Violet nodded. "Yeah, loud and clear. Thank you, cutie… for forgiving me…"  
Vinnie pressed his lips on hers. She kissed him back eagerly. Soon, things got out of control and they had sex on the tribune. No tender, sweet love making, no; rough sex. Violet could feel Vinnie was still kinda mad. She felt it in everything. But it was okay. She wasn't breakable and he didn't hurt her. It was a discharge of emotions for both of them.  
After, while they were putting back on their clothes, Vinnie looked a little ashamed at her.  
"I hope I didn't hurt you, sweetheart. It was kinda… rough... I'm sorry."  
Violet shook her head. "No sorry. It was great and you didn't hurt me."  
"Let's go back inside and update the others…", Vinnie said, a little absent.  
"Is that okay for you? You look a little… worried?"  
"Well, even my own bro's didn't believe me, so I am kinda mad at them. But talking to them is for the best, I guess…"  
"You are finally learning", Violet smiled at him. Vinnie stuck out of his tongue and walked inside with Violet following.  
He walked straight to the group and dropped at the couch.  
"Okay, bro's and girls. Here is the thing. Liam attacked Violet today." He looked around the group, at their shocked faces.  
"Yeah, so… Seems I was right about him. So, thanks for not believing me and thank the Mothers of Mars I was on time to stop Liam before he really could hurt Violet…" and he crossed his arms before his chest.  
Throttle held up his hand.  
"Okay, slow down. What happened?"  
Vinnie told them what Liam had done. There was a deadly silence.  
"So, I was right all along. Got something to say about that?" Vinnie tried to sound confident and badass, but Throttle and Modo could hear he was hurt. And mad.  
"I'm sorry, little bro. For doubting you. We should have believed you…", Modo said.  
Throttle nodded. "The big fella is right."  
Carbine, Gaya and Rimfire said nothing. Till now, they didn't even knew that this was still a thing. Vinnie only had talked about it with his bro's.  
Vinnie nodded. "Okay, now we got that out of our system, next question. What are we gonna do about Liam?"

Throttle was about to say something when the phone rang. Everybody stared at it. Violet sighed and picked up.  
"Hello?"  
Her face darkened. Vinnie narrowed his eyes. He jumped at his feet and grabbed the phone out of Violet's hand.  
"... and I am so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. Please, give a second chance. I promise you it will never happen again…", he heard Liam pleading.  
"You're right. It will never happen again. Because you will never see her again. Stop calling and leave my girl alone. If you don't, well… then I will look for you, I will find you and I will kill you..." and he hung up.  
"How did that little shit get our number anyway?", Vinnie asked at Violet. The latter shrugged.  
"No idea, I didn't tell him, that's for sure."  
Throttle rubbed his chin.  
"The guy is obviously head over heels with you, Violet. But my guess is that if you keep ignoring him, he will stop eventually."  
Vinnie shook his head and opened his mouth when the phone rang again. He stared at it and grabbed it.  
"WHAT?", he yelled agitated, but then his face softened.  
"Oops, sorry Dani", he smiled sheepishly. He listened to what she had to say.  
"Okidoki. Have fun, behave, don't do anything I wouldn't do... In other words; NO LIMITS!" and he hung up.  
"Dani and Jake are going to drink something somewhere, she called to tell us they probably gonna be home late."  
Violet was about to say something, but the phone didn't gave her a chance. Vinnie sighed angrily and held it to his ear. He gritted his teeth, but said nothing and hung up.  
"Liam again", he said, while pulling out the cable. "There. Finally, some peace and quietness… So. Are we going to pay Liam a visit?", he asked with a hopeful face. Throttle shook his head.  
"No. We will wait and see what happens. Violet, you are not gonna come near him again and ignore every move he makes. Don't go alone outside, just to be safe. I think that after a while, he will give up."  
Violet nodded, but her heart was sore. It still was Liam. But she knew Throttle was right.  
"Listen, guys? I am sorry for my stubborness. We all made a big mistake, namely; failing in trusting each other. We are strong and almost unbeatable because we have a strong bond with each other. Let's learn something from this; only trust each other, and nobody else. This was the last time we let someone standing in the cold, like we did to Vinnie. We are family. We need each other in order to survive. We love each other. So, we stick together. Forever."

The whole group nodded. Violet stood in the middle of the group and raised her fist. Everybody joined her and they slammed their fists against each other. It was a important moment for their future. Things were not always easy, but sometimes you needed to fall, stand up again and move on. Learn from mistakes. They did. Nobody was gonna break them apart. Never again.

* * *

Please review! :) Wonder what you guys think, is Liam gonna give up that easily?


	20. Chapter 20

Thanks for the review! :D  
This chapter is gonna be a little bit more about Throttle and Carbine.  
After that, there will be a lof of Vinnie drama. ;)

* * *

 **Chapter twenty**

The next few weeks were calm and quiet. After a few notes and call's, Liam gave up, just like Throttle had predicted. Mozz was still on Plutark, but Throttle insisted to stay. Everybody was okay with that. Earth was a fine place to live.

Jake and Dani had been on a few dates, but decided it was safer for the universe to stay friends. Dani had tried to get over Vinnie, but she had to admit; was not that easy. Since the troubles were gone, the white furred mouse was his usual, happy self and she loved his wild and cocky side. But his heart belonged to Violet, she could see that. The way he looked at her, the way he touched her… No way she was gonna stand between them. So, she suffered alone.

Jake and Rimfire had decided to go back to Coelum, since Rimfire had not yet seen how their new home looked like. Jake had promised that he would come get them if they needed a ride home or when they needed him for a mission. So, it was only the bro's, the girls and Dani who stayed behind.

Carbine was acting weird. She was cranky, didn't had a good appetite and looked constantly worried. Throttle had tried to talk to her, but she said everything was okay. But it was obvious she was not okay. It drove Throttle crazy, but there was nothing he could do to get through to her.

Modo and Gaya were gone most of the time, since Modo finally could pick up his biggest hobby, namely; fishing. One or twice a week, he brought back fresh fish and roasted it on the small barbeque. When they went fishing, they made sure to stay close, in case trouble would occur.

Vinnie and Violet spend a lot of time at the scoreboard. They had a ton of lazy days, lying in the hammock or on the field when there was nobody there. But sometimes, when Vinnie was getting anxious, they left for a long drive on the bikes. Violet's leg was fully healed and the cast was in the trash.

And Dani spend most of her time with all of them. Sometimes she went with Modo and Gaya or when she was tired, she took a day to relax with Vinnie and Violet.

One day, the bro's left the girls behind at the board to collect some fuel. Violet grabbed a huge blanket, rootbeer and some snacks and dragged the three other girls with her to the field. She spread the blanket and lay down. When the others were settled, she pointed at Carbine.  
"You are gonna tell us what is wrong with you. You are just not yourself. What is up with you, Carbine?"  
Carbine lowered her eyes and played with a blade of grass. She sighed.  
"I don't want to talk about it…", she said, but they all heard the doubt in her voice.  
"I think you want to, but something is holding you back. It's just us now, the guys are gone and will not come back soon. So, we have the whole afternoon", Gaya said, lying on her back with her hands folded under her head.  
Carbine sighed. "I eh… I think I may be pregnant…", she blurted out. The other girls jerked upright and stared at her.  
Violet was the first one who found back her tongue.  
"But… That is great news right?", she asked, her eyes sparkling. But when she saw the look on Carbine's face, her face darkened.  
"Okay, you are obviously not happy about it. But why? This is what you wanted, right? Well, at least that's what you told me a couple of months ago."  
Carbine's eyes filled with tears.  
"I'm not even sure if I am pregnant, but I think I am. This insecurity is killing me. And let's say I am, we are living in a war. I don't want to give new life in a world filled with death and darkness…", she sobbed, tears streaming down over her face.  
Violet pulled her in her arms and held her tightly. Dani rubbed her chin.  
"Well, here on Earth, when we think we are pregnant but want to know for sure, we do a pregnancy test… Not sure if it works for alien mice from Mars, though…"  
Gaya shrugged. "You can always try, Carbine. Maybe it does work and then you will know for sure."  
Violet rubbed Carbine's back, who was still crying.  
"But, how is that working, a pregnancy test? Do you need a doctor? Because that is not a option, obviously", Violet asked at Dani.  
The human girl smiled.  
"Obviously. No, you just pee on a stick and that's it. No big deal at all."  
Carbine slowly calmed down a little. Violet let her go and looked her in the eye.  
"What do you say? Give it a try?", she asked, wiping away Carbine's tears. Carbine nodded.  
"Yeah, okay... "  
Dani jumped at her feet. "I will go to the store. Be right back!" and she left the field. Violet took Carbine's hand.  
"Listen, Carbine. I completely understand your fear about bringing a child into this world. But the war is already costing us so much. Why should it also take away your chance to be a mom? You know we're safe on Coelum. It's a safe place to raise a kid."  
Carbine took a deep breath and breathed out.  
"I know… It's just… It's the only thing I know. The only thing I can. Fighting. Living in a war. It scares me to say goodbye to it and be a mom. What if I'm a bad mom?", she asked, suddenly a little panicked.  
"You will be a super awesome mom", Gaya said smiling. Violet nodded.  
"I totally agree with Gaya. And your fears make sense. I think every mom to be has these fears. Scared to do things wrong. Scared they are not capable to be a good mother. But I know you are. And you have some time to prepare. And you have us. We will not let you down, Carbine. We got your back. And I know for sure Throttle will. And he is going to be a awesome daddy!"  
Carbine smiled a little, feeling somehow relieved that she had shared her worries. Violet was right. Coelum was safe. A paradise. A perfect place to raise a kid.  
"Maybe you girls are right. But still…"  
"Of course it's still scary. But come on, you are Carbine! Our badass general! You can do this!" and Violet punched her softly on the arm.  
The grey furred female gave her a little smile, but it quickly vanished.  
"What if there is trouble and I need to fight? What if…", but Violet held up her hand to stop her.  
"You are thinking way ahead of you. Time will tell. But you will probably have to give up the fighting. But the guys will be fine. They handled things with just the three of them a long time. They don't need us."  
"But I don't know if I'm ready to give up fighting…"  
"You are ready. Remember how happy you were when we found Coelum? How heartbroken you were when we needed to fight again? You are scared, because this is something new. And it's always hard to let go of something that you are familiar with and start something new", Gaya said.  
Carbine thought about it and then slowly nodded.  
"Yeah, you're right. Of course you are. But still…"  
Gaya and Violet looked at her. "We got your back, girl. No worries."  
Carbine grabbed their hands. "What would I do without you girls?", she asked, crying again.  
At that point, Dani came back with a back full with boxes of different sizes.  
"I bought multiple brands, in case one of them is not working on alien mice. Come on Carbine, let's go to the bathroom. I will help you", she said, offering her hand. Carbine hesitated, but since she trusted Dani, she took the offered hand and stood up. Besides, she was too scared to do it alone. They walked to the board, leaving Violet and Gaya behind. Violet shook her head.  
"Poor Carbine. But she will be okay, right?"  
Gaya nodded. "Of course she will."

An half hour later, there were lying more than twenty pregnancy tests in the bathroom. And they all were positive.  
"Carbine, I don't think there is any doubt here. You are pregnant", Dani said careful.  
Carbine slowly sat down on the closed toilet and rested her head in her hands. She looked up to Dani.  
"Thanks, Dani. For your help. It helps. To know for sure."  
"Any time, Carbine. And eh… congratulations!" and Dani pulled Carbine in a hug. Carbine hugged her back and again, she started crying. But this were tears from happiness. She was gonna have a baby. With Throttle. Oh my god. It was a miracle. Dani untangled herself and looked Carbine in the eye.  
"You will be fine, Carbine. Everything will be okay. But you need to tell Throttle. The poor guy is completely clueless and worried sick."  
Carbine nodded. "I will. When he comes back, I will talk to him."

The guys were back on their way to the scoreboard with fuel. It wasn't really a fun trip, since Throttle was cranky and couldn't say one nice word to his bro's. Modo and Vinnie were familiar with this mood swings, since it wasn't the first time there was trouble in paradise. It was for the best to stay quiet, make sure you wasn't in Throttle's way and follow his orders without questions. Even Vinnie knew this. But Vinnie wouldn't be Vinnie if he was gonna do what him was told. He and Modo were driving a few meters behind Throttle. Modo saw the look on Vinnie's face.  
"Don't even think about it, Vin…", he warned the white furred mouse. Vinnie looked offended.  
"Hey! Innocence! I'm just gonna ask him what is wrong with him. Like he is always asking me, even if I don't want it."  
"Yeah, but that's because you…", but Vinnie was already gone. Modo shook his head and followed his younger bro. They both went to ride next to Throttle. Vinnie opened his visor and looked at his leader.  
"Come on, bro, what's eating you?", he asked. Modo was surprised by the serious tone. Maybe he was finally learning.  
Throttle gave Vinnie a warning look, but said nothing. But Vinnie didn't gave up that easily.  
"Ugh. Throttle, don't be like this. You are always the one who is saying to talk about what is bothering you, that we are family, that we can trust each other… Same goes for you, you know that, right?"  
Throttle suddenly made a sharp turn and stopped in a small park. Vinnie and Modo stopped next to him.  
"Vin is right, Throttle. You can talk to us", Modo said with caution, not knowing how the tan furred mouse was gonna react.  
Throttle opened his visor and sighed.  
"I'm sorry, bro's. I shouldn't take this out on you guys."  
Vinnie waved it away. "No biggie."  
Modo nodded. "So, this must be about Carbine, right?"  
"Yeah… Something is wrong with her... But she doesn't open up. She usually does. It's killing me she is suffering alone. I want to help her. Be there for her. But she is pushing me away. Why?" Throttle rubbed his chin. This was going on for weeks now and he was thinking about it all the time. What could cause this behaviour? He didn't had a clue.  
Vinnie clapped him on the back. "Just keep trying, bro. Eventually, she will give in. Otherwise, I'm gonna talk to her. Explaining what she is doing to you, and to us. Man, you sure are no picnic to live with these last days…" He quickly shut his mouth. Oops. He just couldn't help it. He always achieved to say something stupid at the wrong time. Modo rolled his eyes. Yep. There it was. So far for thinking he was learning. Obviously, he wasn't.  
Throttle glared at him, his fur bristled.  
"You and your big mouth are gonna stay out of this, you got that?", he said with a dangerously low voice. Vinnie smiled sheepishly.  
"Yeah, yeah…", he mumbled, lowering his eyes.  
Throttle revved his bike.  
"I'll see you guys later", and he drove away. Modo slapped himself against the head.  
"Really, Vinnie. How do you do it?"  
Vinnie shrugged. "It's a gift, bro. A gift."  
"Some gift…", Modo mumbled. "Come on, let's ride."  
Vinnie followed his bro, but kept some distance. Just in case the grey furred giant was mad at him. This day was too beautiful to die.

When Vinnie came into the board, Modo was already there, pulling off his helmet. Carbine walked over to him.  
"Where is Throttle? I need to talk to him."  
"Oh, so now…", Vinnie started, but one glare from Modo shut him up.  
"I don't know. Look, Carbine… I don't want to interfere with anything, but Throttle is upset. He is worried about you. So, you know how he is… He left off. Maybe you can track him down and…", Modo stuttered with a blush. Carbine smiled and patted his arm.  
"You are not interfering anything, Modo. You are right. I'm gonna find him and talk to him. Set things straight. Thanks."  
She jumped on her bike and flew out of the window. Vinnie rolled his eyes. That woman was gonna kill his bro one day. But by the looks of things, he was the only one to see it. Ah well. Where was his girl? He looked around, but he and Modo were the only ones inside. Modo was busy with his bike. Vinnie glanced out of the window and saw Violet, Gaya and Dani sitting on a blanket on the field. Looks like a girl thingy. No way he was gonna interfere that. He sighed.  
"Modo, I'm bored…", he whined.  
Modo ignored him.  
"Modo, come on…."  
Silence.  
"Modooooo…"  
A sigh.  
"I think she is pregnant."  
That took the attention from the grey furred giant. He whirled around to face his white furred bro.  
"Say what?!"  
"It makes sense, right? She is cranky, nauseous in the morning…", Vinnie said with a innocent look on his face. Modo stared at him.  
"Really, since when do you know these things?"  
"Hey! I'm may be the most good looking, reckless and baddest mammajammer, I'm not dumb! Although you guys keep thinking I am… Whatever. Come on, Modo. Think about it!"  
Modo rubbed his chin. Vinnie could be right. It did make sense. But why was she not happy about it?  
"Okay, let's say you're right. Then why is she not telling Throttle? And why is she not happy?"  
Vinnie shrugged. "Well, having a kid in a warzone is not really, let's say… ideal. And maybe she isn't sure about it and is she waiting to tell Throttle till she do know for sure."  
Modo couldn't believe his oversized ears. It was so weird to hear Vinnie say things that made sense… But he knew his younger bro for a long time now. He did have brains and sure knew how to use them. He had proved that many times. But it was a rare thing, and it always came when you least expecting it.  
"Well, time will tell…"

Meanwhile, Carbine found Throttle at his favorite spot at Lake Michigan. She stepped off her bike and sat down next to him. She stared at the water. How in the world was she gonna tell him this?  
"Carbine… Please, talk to me. I want to help you, but I need to know what is going on. Please, stop pushing me away…"  
Carbine felt tears in her eyes. Damn, these hormones. She tried to find the right words, but she had a blackout.  
Throttle faced her and grabbed her hands.  
"Please, I'm worried sick about you…", he said, studying her face.  
Carbine looked at him, tears dripping on her cheeks.  
"Babe... You really should talk to me, I'm your partner. We share everything, you can tell me everything…", Throttle babbled. He knew he was talking way too much, but he was close to losing it. He wanted to know what was wrong with his wife.  
"Throttle, I'm pregnant…", Carbine whispered, but Throttle didn't hear it, since he was still babbling.  
"...and you need to I'm here for you, I promise you, I won't be mad…"  
"I'm pregnant…", but Throttle still didn't hear it.  
"...there is also nothing to be ashamed of and…"  
"THROTTLE! I'M PREGNANT!"  
"...I will do everything for you and…" Throttle trailed off. He stared at her.  
"Say what?"  
Carbine smiled. "I'm pregnant…"  
Throttle stayed silent for a minute. But then his face lit up. His hands cupped around her head.  
"You're pregnant? I am going to be a father?", he asked, his voice thick with emotion.  
"Yes, handsome. You are going to be a father", Carbine answered, crying again.  
Throttle jumped at his feet and swirled Carbine around. He laughed out loud. Then he pulled her in his arms.  
"Babe… I can't believe this! Why didn't you tell me?"  
"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… I wasn't sure and I was scared… scared to have a kid in a war. But the girls helped me. They let me see this is a miracle. I am carrying your child. We are going to be parents…"  
Throttle almost squeezed the life out of her. "God, babe. I love you so much. But you should have told me… I could've helped you…"  
"I know, I know." She held him tightly. Throttle lifted her chin and kissed her. She felt something wet. She broke off the kiss.  
"Are you crying?", she asked with disbelief. In the time she was with Throttle, she had only seen him cry once. Throttle laughed nervously.  
"Yeah, but these are tears from happiness, babe. I… God… We are gonna have a baby…"

When they came back at the board, everybody was sitting at the kitchen table, waiting for Throttle and Carbine.  
"So, love birds. Had a good talk?", Vinnie asked, wiggling his eyebrows. Violet punched him.  
"What? You do know sex after a fight is the best sex, right?"  
Carbine rolled her eyes. She sat down with Throttle next to her, holding his hand. Violet gave Carbine a reassuring smile. Modo stared at the hands of Throttle and Carbine. He quickly looked at Vinnie, who winked.  
"Okay, spill it. You obviously have something to tell us…", Vinnie said with a mischievous smile. Modo gave him a warning look.  
Throttle smiled.  
"Vinnie is right. We do have something to tell you guys. Well, to Vinnie and Modo. The girls are fully informed already…"  
Vinnie's eyes grew big while looking at Violet.  
"You knew? You knew what is going on, and you didn't tell me?"  
"It's not my place to tell. Now shut up and let Carbine speak."  
"Well… I'm pregnant…"  
"I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT! YES!", Vinnie cheered, his fist slammed on the table while looking smugly at Modo.  
Carbine and Throttle stared at the white furred mouse.  
"You knew?"  
"Naahh, guessed it. Easy guess, though. Besides, I'm a mastermind. And don't you just hate me for it?"  
Modo rolled his eyes. "Congrats, you two. We are very happy for you. It's great news!"  
"Yeaahh, congrats you two! As long as you keep that thing away from Violet, before you're gonna give her ideas…", Vinnie said with a low voice.  
Violet punched him. "Geezz, Vin, talk about unsensitive! Throttle, I am very happy for you!"  
Gaya and Dani congratulated Throttle too. The tan furred mouse thanked them all, even Vinnie. Modo was happy for him. He deserved this. And he was gonna be a awesome dad. Vinnie was happy for him too. Even he didn't like kids, he knew Throttle always wanted to be a dad. And he was the right one for the job.

Later that night, after diner, Carbine sighed.  
"Man, the things I would do for some chocolate…" She had discovered chocolate the first time she was on Earth. She always had loved it, but now she was pregnant, she had a insatiable hunger for it.  
Violet jumped up.  
"I will go get you some, if Dani is willing to pay for it?"  
"Sure, no problem. I have enough money to live three times, so sometimes I don't even know what to do with it. It's yours now too, okay?" and she gave Violet her credit card.  
Violet smiled. "Thanks girl."  
She gave Vinnie a quick kiss and left the board on her bike. She drove straight to the store and parked her bike. With her helmet on, she stepped inside and grabbed all the chocolate she could find. She paid and left the store. When she wanted to step on her bike, the bike suddenly beeped. But there was no time to react.  
She felt a sharp pain in her neck and quickly after that, the world became black.

* * *

Yeah, the first baby is on his way! :D Please review! :)


	21. Chapter 21

Thanks for the review! Vinnie doesn't like kids because he is simply not ready yet. He will be. Eventually.  
Just stay tuned! :)

* * *

 **Chapter twenty one**

"Man, she left an hour ago. Shouldn't she be back by now?", Vinnie said, pacing through the scoreboard.  
"Chill, Vin. Maybe the closest store was closed… Did you check her tracker already?", Modo asked.  
"Yeah, twice, and she is still at the store. Well, her bike is."  
Vinnie looked at Throttle, who was sitting on the couch with Carbine, talking softly to each other. Dani looked at Vinnie.  
"I agree with you, this is weird."  
"Yeah, it is. I'm gonna check it out", Vinnie said, jumping on his bike.  
Modo looked one more time at Throttle and Carbine, but they were in their own bubble. By the looks of things, they didn't even hear this conversation. He decided to leave them. They deserved their time together.  
"I'll go with ya", the grey furred giant said, taking place on his bike. Gaya jumped behind him.  
"Me too."  
"I will stay here, in case she comes back, okay? Good luck", Dani said, waving at them.

When they arrived at the store, Violet's bike was still standing there. Vinnie stepped off his bike and walked over to Lady Bug. He quickly looked in the store, but he didn't saw Violet. Suddenly, Lady Bug recognized him and started beeping like crazy. Vinnie rubbed his chin. He saw a bag full with chocolate lying next to Violet's bike. Something was definitely wrong. He looked at Modo and Gaya.  
"Something is wrong. Where is she?"  
Modo shrugged, but feeling the same worries.  
"You guys go back to the board, in case she comes back or something happens there. I'm not liking this at all", Vinnie said, jumping on his bike again.  
"Are you sure, Vin? I mean, what if this is a trap?"  
"That's what I'm saying, bro. What if this is one of those diversion jokes from Mozz? To split us up? You need to go back to the board, now! I will try to find Violet."  
"Okay, but be careful, bro."  
"No worries. Standard hero stuff", Vinnie said, but his voice gave away how worried he was. He sped away.  
Modo turned his bike.  
"Oh momma, I'm not liking this at all…", he said to Gaya.  
"Me neither…"

A few hours later, Vinnie came back at the board with Lady Bug, but no Violet. He jumped off his bike while pulling off his helmet and threw it in a corner. Everybody stood up.  
"I can't find her. Where could she be?", Vinnie said, his voice shaky because of anger and despair.  
Throttle, now fully informed by Modo, had a thoughtful look on his face.  
"Have you checked Mozz his building?"  
"Yeah, twice. Nobody there…" Vinnie didn't knew what to do with all the emotions that were running through his body right now. He was thrown back and forth between anger and agony. He looked at Throttle, not knowing what to do.  
"We will find her, Vin. You know we will. I think we can say for sure now that she is kidnapped. But who would take her? Mozz is gone… So who…"  
"LIAM! It must be him!", Vinnie suddenly growled. His tail lashed in anger.  
"Dammit, I should have killed him when I got the chance…"  
"But why would he take her? He loves her.. He doesn't want to hurt her, right?", Gaya asked.  
"He attacked her before. The guy is obsessed. How could I think for one second she was save? That he gave up. I should have known… I saw it in his eyes that night…"  
"Vin, don't do this to yourself. It's not your fault…", Dani said softly, but the white furred adrenaline junkie didn't listen. He paced through the board, shaking his head. Throttle tried to calm him down, but it was no use. He sighed.  
"Listen, Vin. We know he would never kill her. Well...Not immediately at least… We still have time. We need to find out where he is hiding her."  
Vinnie stopped pacing. "Bruce. He must know something. But how to find him?" He thought about it. He suddenly marched at the phone and grabbed it. He searched the number Liam had used to call them. Then, he grabbed the phone book. After a few minutes, he found what he was looking for.  
"This is the number he called with. This is the address that goes with it. I'm gone."  
He quickly grabbed his helmet and was about to drive out, when Throttle stopped him.  
"You are not going alone, Vincent."  
"Yes I am. This is my fight. My fight alone." And he sped away, leaving everybody speechless behind.  
Carbine sighed.  
"He is right, you know. Even as a girl, I understand where he is coming from. When he needs us, he will contact us. Let's give him this. Everybody agree?"  
They all agreed, although with sighing and frowning. But Vinnie was right. This was his girl. This was his fight.

Vinnie sped through the streets, pushing his bike to the limits. Hatred flowed through his veins. If that little piece of shit only had thought so much about touching his girl… He flew around a corner, almost losing control over his bike because of the speed he was driving by. The bike wobbled, but stayed upright. With shrieking brakes, Vinnie stopped at the address he had found in the phonebook and marched straight at the door. In one movement, he kicked the door open and grabbed his gun. He walked inside, looking in every room he passed by. When he walked into the livingroom, a young guy jumped off the couch, his hands raised in the air and a startled look on his face.  
"Wow, dude, easy..", but Vinnie grabbed him by his shirt.  
"Bruce, I suppose?", he asked with gritted teeth. The guy nodded, breathing heavily.  
"Where is he?", Vinnie demanded. Bruce opened his mouth, but his voice didn't cooperate.  
"Wha… what do.. do you mean?", he stuttered eventually.  
"Where is Liam?"  
"I… I don't… I…"  
Vinnie slammed the guy against the wall.  
"I asked you a simple question, sweetheart. Where is LIAM?" He almost spit out the name in anger.  
"He left this afternoon, I don't know where he went! Please, you have to believe me…", Bruce pleaded, his eyes big of fear.  
"Does he have a place he likes to go to? Come on, THINK!", Vinnie growled, pushing his gun against Bruce his head. Bruce looked like he was fainting.  
"I'm trying, I'm trying! But the gun isn't helping, dude!"  
Vinnie sighed and lowered his gun, but didn't let Bruce go.  
Bruce closed his eyes and tried to calm down enough to use his brains again. He took a few deep breaths. Then, his eyes flew open.  
"He told me he had found a building at the other side of town. He was gonna make it his home, he told me. So he didn't had to live here anymore. That he wouldn't bother me anymore. Not that he was, but…"  
Vinnie stopped him by shaking him roughly.  
"Stop with the small talk. Where is the building?"  
Bruce thought for a second and then named an address. Vinnie let him go and ran outside.  
He whistled for his bike and they sped away. He called Throttle to quickly tell him where he was going, just in case. But before Throttle could react, he hung up.  
He needed to focus. He had a girl to safe.

When he arrived at the building, it looked abandoned. But Vinnie was taking no chances. Where he normally would blast in and destroy everything in sight, he now parked his bike and pulled off his helmet. He couldn't take the risk, he needed to keep Violet safe.  
"Stay here, but be prepared that I'll need your help, sweetheart." The bike beeped back.  
Vinnie looked at the building. It was a small warehouse. He quickly sneaked to the back. No windows. Shit. There was one door at the front and one at the back. Vinnie ran back to his bike, his head low. He parked his bike by the front door.  
"If Liam comes out, shoot him. If he has Violet, don't. If Violet comes out alone, take her to the board. Don't wait for me, okay?"  
With one pat on her side, the white furred mouse turned around and quickly sneaked past the building. He grabbed a flair and burned the lock. The door opened with a soft click. With one glance over his shoulder, he sneaked inside. He was about to look around him, but suddenly a rope slipped over his head. He tried to escape, but the rope tightened. A noose. Really? Suddenly, the light flickered on and he squeezed his eyes against the bright light.  
"I thought you would come. Glad you could join us." Liam's voice.  
Vinnie opened his eyes and saw Liam standing right before him. Violet was sitting in a corner, with a dazed look on her face. But she was awake. She looked at Vinnie with despair on her face. Vinnie narrowed his eyes and turned his gaze back on Liam.  
"And don't you even think about whistling for your bike. I know how you guys work. I observed you for weeks now. But I assume you want Violet alive…So, you'll do as I say."  
Liam came closer to him and tight Vinnie with more ropes at a fence that was standing behind him. The guy sure knew how to make knots. Vinnie couldn't move. Even his tail was tied up. This was not going well.  
"Let her go. She doesn't want you", he growled, frustrated to be so helpless.  
Liam ignored him and grabbed a loose rope which was attached to the rope that held Vinnie. He pulled on it and the noose around Vinnie's neck tightened further. He was still able to breath, but with difficulty.  
Violet slowly stood up.  
"Please, let him go…", she pleaded with tears in her eyes. Liam quickly turned around.  
"No."  
Vinnie roared in anger. "Let my girl go, NOW! Do what you like, but let her go!"  
"Your lover makes a passionate plea…"  
"Vinnie, it's useless…", Violet sighed.  
"She is right, you know… Nobody can save you now… Except perhaps… Violet." Liam turned around to face the caramel colored furred female mouse.  
"Buy his freedom with your love. Stay with me. Live with me. Love me. If you refuse… your lovely husband is gone… Your choice…"  
Violet shook her head, tears in her eyes. "No, please, don't make me do this… Just let us go. You can't force love, Liam. You know that…"  
Liam suddenly yanked at the rope. Vinnie made a stuffy sound, breathing with difficulty.  
"Make your choice, Violet. You need to remember. Remember how much you loved me, and how much you still love me…"  
Violet looked pleading at Vinnie. She didn't have a choice. There was no chance of winning. Whatever she chose, Liam would win. But she refused to drag Vinnie with her. No way she was gonna let Liam kill him. Vinnie looked back at her.  
"Don't throw away your life for me, sweetheart. Don't. I just want you to be happy. I love you so much…"  
"I love you too… so much. There is no life without you. Especially not when you are dead. I'm sorry, cutie, but I have no choice…"  
"Violet, don't…" but she ignored him. She slowly walked to Liam.  
"Fine. You win. You will have me. Forever. Please, now let him go…"  
Liam stared at her. "You need to be a little more convincing, beautiful…"  
Violet took a deep breath. She gently grabbed Liam's head and pressed her lips on his. Tears streamed over her face.  
When she broke off the kiss, Liam was breathing heavily. He looked in her eyes. He saw her sadness. Her broken heart. He suddenly felt like he was waking up out of a trance. What the hell was he doing? His lip started to tremble. He shook his head.  
"I'm… I'm sorry… I... ", he fell on his knees, staring at the ground. Violet immediately took advantage of the situation. She ran over to Vinnie, who was awfully quiet. She quickly made him loose. He pulled her in his arms.  
"God, Vi…"  
Liam was staring at them, tears streaming over his face.  
"I'm sorry… I cannot say how sorry I am…"  
Vinnie let Violet go and pushed her behind him.  
"We all heard that one before…", he said slowly.  
"I know, I know… But this is not who I am… Violet, you know this is not who I am… The Plutarkians… The things they did to me…"  
Vinnie was about to grab his gun, but Liam was faster. He pulled a gun out of his jacket. But he didn't shoot at Vinnie. No. He pointed the gun at his own head and looked one more time at Violet.  
"I'm sorry…", he whispered. Violet pushed Vinnie out of the way, in a attempt to stop Liam...  
"No, Liam, don't…!", but she was too late.  
Liam pulled the trigger and his head exploded. Blood and tissue splattered over Vinnie and Violet. Violet froze, staring at Liam.  
"No… NO!" She fell on her knees. Vinnie quickly grabbed her, shielding her from the sight of Liam.  
"Easy, sweetheart. Easy."  
Violet let out a scream of pain. No matter what Liam had done to them, he didn't deserve this. It was the war that destroyed everything. The Plutarkians who destroyed everything. First her parents, now Liam… God, when was is going to stop? She couldn't stop screaming.  
"NOOHOHOOOO, WHYY, OH GOD, WHYYY?!"  
The pain she felt was unbearable. She had reached her limit. This was too much. Vinnie just held her, stroking her back. He was kinda in shock too. The hatred he had felt for Liam, was gone. There was only compassion. He just couldn't help it. The guy obviously had suffered because of the Plutarkians. Although he had to admit, he was somehow glad he was dead. Violet was safe. But she was a mess. And that was an understatement. He had never seen her this upset. He didn't knew what to say, to make her feel better. He just held her, while she was screaming and crying. Slowly, she calmed down a little. Vinnie cupped her head in his hands and looked her in the eye. She didn't look back. She kept staring at Liam's body. Vinnie wiped away blood and pieces of brain of her cheeks.  
"We need to go, sweetheart. We need to get you clean."  
Violet didn't respond immediately, but then the words dawned on her. She looked at her body and panicked again.  
"No, no, no, no… Oh my god, take it away! Oh my god, Liam…" She was rubbing her whole body in panic, crying. Vinnie grabbed her hands.  
"Sweetheart, try to calm down. Come on, we are going back to the board and take a long, hot shower, how does that sound?"  
Violet brushed her hair out of her face with shaking hands, but only to find you there were pieces of Liam's skull stuck in her hair. She started to pull on her hair, despair written on her face. Her eyes were swollen and with all the blood on her face, she looked like kinda scary. Vinnie decided this needed a little more drastic measures. He whistled at his bike, who flew in through the front door. He wrapped his tail around Violet and set her on his bike. He took place in front of her, his tail still around her. He wanted to drive away, but Violet went ballistic.  
"WE CAN'T LEAVE HIM HERE, WE CAN'T JUST LEAVE HIM HERE…", she screamed, trying to jump off Vinnie's bike. Vinnie turned around to face her.  
"I will go back and give him a good place to rest, okay? But you are way more important and right now, I want to take care off you. I NEED to take care off you. Violet, come on…"  
But Violet didn't listen. She didn't even hear him. Vinnie sighed and held her tightly with his tail. He revved his bike and drove back to the board, with a crying and screaming Violet behind him.

When they drove inside the board, everybody jumped on their feet. Shock was written on their faces when they saw the blood and how upset Violet was. Vinnie looked helplessly to Throttle, didn't knew what to do. Everybody came into action.  
Carbine, Dani and Gaya immediately took care of Violet. But Violet was still panicked. They were struggling with her, but she was too strong. Dani sighed.  
"Sorry girl, but this is for your own good." and she slapped Violet hard in the face. Violet's body went limp, she stared at Dani with wide eyes.  
"Come on, Vi. We are gonna get you clean. Gaya, grab some clean clothes for her. Carbine, help me to get her into the shower."  
They did what she said and when the girls were in the bathroom, Throttle looked at Vinnie. The poor guy looked like shit. Blood was splattered all over him, his clothes, his fur… But the look in his eyes was what shocked him the most.  
"Jezus, Vincent. What happened?"  
Vinnie took a deep breath.  
"He killed himself. He shot himself straight through the head right in front of us…" Vinnie was rubbing his arms absently, somehow trying to remove the blood, but he only made it worse. Throttle shared a worried look with Modo.  
"Jezus… I can't get her screaming out of my head…", Vinnie whispered, still rubbing his arms. Modo came into action.  
"Come on, little bro. We can use the showers downstairs…", and he gently grabbed Vinnie's arm. Throttle turned around and grabbed some clean clothes and towels. He found a battle shampoo and followed Modo and Vinnie.  
Downstairs were the showers that were used by the players after a game. But since it was late in the evening, nobody was there. It was a huge room with multiple showers and no booths. But since the bro's were living a long time together, it wasn't the first time they saw each other naked.  
Modo pulled off Vinnie's bandoliers and lay them gently on the ground.  
"We need to clean that up later", he mumbled.  
Vinnie was staring at the floor. He wasn't really shocked because he had seen Liam's head exploding right before his nose. No, he had seen worse things in war. But Violet's reaction... that's what frightened him. She obviously reached her limit. How was she gonna recover from this?

Modo ordered him to raise his arms so he could remove his T-shirt. It was like he was talking to a child. Vinnie did what him was told, without saying any word. When all his clothes were gone, Modo turned on the shower and checked the temperature. When it was warm enough, he gently pushed his bro under the beam. Vinnie sighed from relief when he felt the warm water. It was like he woke up. He turned around and let the water stream over his face. Throttle gave him the shampoo and they both left the room to give their bro some privacy. Vinnie stared at the wall, the water streaming over his body. He emptied the bottle shampoo and rubbed his body over and over again. The blood was difficult to remove from his fur. He knew he needed to use cold water, but he couldn't stand the thought of a cold shower. After rubbing for a while, it looked like he was white again. He stared at the floor. The water streamed away, but the pieces of skull and brain stayed behind in the floor drain. Ugh…  
The door opened and Modo and Throttle came inside. Modo turned off the shower and wrapped Vinnie in a huge towel. Vinnie dried himself off and quickly put on his clothes. He stared at his bandoliers. How was he gonna clean them? He suddenly felt the urge to laugh. Violet was losing her mind and he here was, worrying about how to clean his bandoliers. A smothered chuckle escaped his mouth. He couldn't stop himself. Modo shared a look with Throttle. Their younger bro was losing it. Throttle knew there was only one thing that could calm their bro down, and that was a good drink. Normally, he wasn't for the use of alcohol. But desperate times asked for drastic measures.  
"Come on, bro's. Let's get drunk."  
Modo couldn't look any more surprised.  
Vinnie on the other hand found it the best idea he had heard in weeks now. He walked upstairs to his bike, followed by his bro's.  
"Throttle, what are you doing?", Modo asked urgently at the tan furred mouse. Throttle looked at Modo.  
"He needs to calm down. This is the only way to achieve that. No worries, big fella. We are not gonna get that drunk."  
"Ahh… Okay… Yeah, I can see where you're coming from."  
They jumped on their bikes and followed Vinnie to bar Black.

In the meantime, the girls were busy with Violet. The poor girl was in shock. She was sitting under the shower, her arms around her body. Her eyes were wide open, but there was nobody home. Carbine was standing next to her in her underwear and was washing her hair. Finally, all the blood and other things were gone and Violet was clean again. With Gaya's help, she lifted Violet out of the shower. When she was dry and wearing some clothes, they helped her into the hammock. Carbine pulled a blanket over her and looked worried at Violet's face. Her eyes were still wide open, staring at the ceiling. Carbine looked at the other two girls.  
"She is in shock. Shouldn't we do something?"  
Dani thought about it for a second.  
"I will make some tea with a lot of sugar. Maybe that's what her body is needing right now."  
After a few minutes, she came back with a steaming mug.  
"Violet, sweetheart. Drink this."  
But Violet didn't respond. Dani lifted up her head and set the mug at her lips. She slowly let some tea run into Violet's mouth. Violet did swallow, so with tiny sibs, Dani gave her the tea. When the mug was empty, Violet rested her head on the pillow again. Her eyes slowly closed, her breathing became calm.  
"She is sleeping. Her body had enough", Dani said, stroking some hair out of Violet's face with a tenderness that Carbine didn't had seen before. She really cared.  
Carbine sighed. "God, I feel bad for her. This must have been a trip down to memory lane…"  
Dani and Gaya looked at her questionably.  
"She shot her own dad. He was broken because of the war. He had lost his mind. After he killed her mother, he was about to kill Violet. But she shot him first. Caused a trauma. But she overwon it to save Vinnie. But seeing Liam shooting himself, I think that was just too much to handle for her…"  
"Poor girl…", Dani said with tears in her eyes. She wished there was something she could do to take Violet's pain away. But there was nothing she could do. Just be there for her. And that what was she gonna do. She made a decision.  
"I am not going back home. My life is here now, with you. I wanna be there for Violet, to support her. I wanna be there, when you are gonna be a mom", she said firmly.  
Carbine hugged her. "Thank you. Welcome to the family, Dani."  
Gaya joined them in the hug. They held each other tightly, tears in their eyes.  
War was awful. Painful. Horrible. But the only good about it was that it created strong, unbreakable bonds. A family.

* * *

Poor Violet. Will she be okay? Please review. :)


	22. Chapter 22

Thanks for the reviews!

Soooo, next chapter. You guys are so gonna hate me for this.  
But I've decided Vinnie needed one more lesson, one more chapter in his journey to finally learn who he really is.  
And it's gonna be heavy. Very heavy. But stay with me, okay? Just trust me on this. :)

* * *

 **Chapter twenty two**

The next few weeks, everybody was busy with getting Violet back onto her feet. But that wasn't easy. Actually, it seemed impossible. She was introvert, lay in Vinnie's hammock all day and almost didn't speak. She didn't eat at all and already lost a lot of weight. The only thing she sometimes accepted was a cup of tea. They tried everything, but she simply didn't listen. Vinnie was actually thinking she didn't even heard them. The white furred was worried sick about his girl. He didn't knew what to do. And he was about to reach his limit. He talked to Throttle, to Modo, to Carbine, to Dani, but nobody knew what to do. They told him she needed time. That he needed to be there for her when she needed him. That eventually, she would come around. But nobody could tell him how to handle the fact his girl was a zombie. Nobody could tell him when she was gonna come around. He was frustrated on so many levels and he didn't knew how long he was gonna take this. He stood on the edge of the abyss, balancing on one foot. But he could feel he was about to fall down. And there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Vinnie was staring out of the window, sitting next to Violet. She was lying in their hammock, her eyes open, staring at the ceiling. He sighed and looked at her.  
"Violet, please. Talk to me. You know I'm here for you, right? Please, come back, sweetheart…", but Violet didn't respond.  
"Violet, come on! You are killing yourself here. If you don't start eating soon, you are gonna die. I don't want to lose you…"  
Silence. She didn't even blink. Vinnie had enough.  
"FINE! If that's what you want, FINE! But you do know you are being selfish, right? Have you even thought about what you are doing to me?", he yelled at her, his tail lashing through the air.  
Still no response.  
Vinnie threw his hands in the air in frustration and walked away. He didn't saw the tear that dripped out of Violet's left eye.

Vinnie marched outside and slammed his fist against the wall. Suddenly, Dani was standing next to him.  
"Vinnie, please, calm down!", she said, grabbing his hand. Vinnie yanked himself free and started pacing on the tribune.  
Dani didn't really knew what to do. The rest was out, clearing their heads. She had offered to stay behind. But she hadn't thought about the fact that she couldn't stop Vinnie when he was having one of his temper tantrums. She followed the white furred mouse with her eyes, staying on safe distant. Suddenly, he turned to face her.  
"Really, Dani. Tell me what to do. I can't get through to her. She is gonna die. She gave up…", his voice broke.  
Dani slowly walked closer to him.  
"Vin, listen. She is not gonna die. We won't let her. We always can force her to eat…" but Vinnie shook his head.  
"I know my girl. She is stubborn. If she gave up, she gave up. And there is nothing we can do…"  
Tears filled his eyes, but he roughly wiped them away. Every muscle in his body was tensed so tight, it almost hurt. His hands were shaking, his tail was lashing through the air, his jaws clenched. He was gonna lose his mind. It was official. He couldn't handle this. It was too much.  
Suddenly, he felt two soft hands on his shoulders. He looked up and stared into Dani's eyes. Eyes which were so familiar, but also so not the same…  
"Vinnie, try to calm down. I know it's hard. But you need to calm down. I don't want you to hurt yourself because you are losing control…"  
Vinnie eyes lowered to her lips. Soft lips. Like Charley's.  
Dani's cheeks turned red when she saw he was looking at her lips. Oh god. She was not gonna kiss him. He was married, for fuck sake. Violet was her best friend. Her best friend who gave up and was waiting to die. Kissing him would be the worst betrayal she could imagine.  
Vinnie eyes slowly lifted and he looked at her.  
She looked back into his beautiful red eyes. She saw the pain. She saw he was not really on Earth. Emotions took over. He was breathing heavily. She could feel his fight with himself. But then, she saw he made a decision. And she knew she couldn't resist him.  
He pressed his lips on hers, kissing her roughly. She kissed him back eagerly, which made him even more rough. He lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He pressed her against the wall and she could feel he was ready. He ripped her pants off in one movement, without stopping kissing her. A growl escaped his mouth when he roughly pushed himself inside of her. Dani moaned and set her nails in his back. This was everything she had imagined and so much more. She could hear a little voice in the back of her head that kept telling her this was wrong on so many levels. But she ignored it. She had waited for this for so long. She never had thought it would actually happen. She knew he was using her. But she didn't care.

All of a sudden, it was over. They were both breathing heavily, Vinnie held his hand against the wall to support his weight, his other hand holding Dani. Her legs were still around his waist, her eyes closed in ecstasy. She could feel he was still inside her. He was leaning with his weight against her body, his legs shaky.  
"Am I interrupting something?", a sharp voice asked.  
Dani's eyes flew open, just like Vinnie's. They saw Throttle standing in the door opening. Vinnie cursed under his breath and quickly let Dani go. He zipped his pants, still cursing softly. Dani hid behind Vinnie, since her pants was lying in pieces on the ground, along with her underwear.  
Vinnie walked past right Throttle inside. Dani could hear his bike leaving. She suddenly realized he just left her here, half naked. Her cheeks turned red, while bending over to grab a piece of her jeans to cover herself. Throttle shook his head, disappointment written on his face and walked back inside. Dani stayed behind, still a little dizzy in her head. Oh. My. God. Realisation hit her. What did she do?

Throttle was still kinda in shock from what he just had seen. Goddammit Vincent. Talk about a stupid move. He just wished he hadn't seen it. But now he knew, he couldn't just ignore it. Dammit. What to do? He looked at Violet, who was lying in her hammock, staring at the ceiling. He clenched his fists. How could Vinnie do this to her? She was at a very dark place, the darkest place she had ever been in her entire life, and Vinnie cheated on her. When that loudmouth was coming back, he sure was gonna get it.  
The rest of the group came inside.  
"I saw Vinnie speeding away, what happened?", Modo asked while pulling off his helmet. Throttle opened his mouth, but closed it again. What to say?  
"Eh, I.. I eh.. I think he is just upset because of Violet…", he stuttered. Modo narrowed his eye. Throttle almost never stuttered. The tan furred mouse quickly walked over to Dani's stuff.  
"Dani tripped, her pants is torn. I was just on my way to give her a new one. No worries, she is fine", he said and with a sweatpants in his hands, he almost ran outside. He closed the door with a loud bang. The rest looked at each other and shrugged.

Throttle walked over to Dani and threw the pants at her.  
"Here, get dressed, for fuck sake."  
Dani quickly put on the pants. She had tears in her eyes. Throttle looked at her, she could feel his disapproval almost spatting from of his body.  
"Really, Dani. What were you thinking? Jezus, I can't believe this…"  
Dani started crying.  
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry… It just happened. He was so upset and… it just happened.."  
Throttle sighed. "Well, I'm not the one you should apologize to. But you better come up with something. I haven't told the rest what happened, but that was the last time I am going to lie about this. I am not gonna live with this secret."  
"I know… I'm not expecting that from you. I need to… Jezus… I…"  
"Okay, calm down", Throttle said, not unfriendly.  
Sure, he was mad at Dani. But he was even more mad at Vinnie. He used Dani. Throttle knew Dani had feelings for his younger bro. She had done everything to respect his relationship with Violet. It didn't came as a surprise that she succumbed for his charms. But still… She knew better than this. Of course she knew.  
Dani took a few deep breaths and looked at Throttle, loss at words.  
"Listen. I suggest you tell the girls and I will talk to Modo about this. Modo and I will talk with Vincent about this. You stay away from him, for now. Okay?"  
Dani nodded. "Yeah, sounds good to me…", she whispered. Throttle patted her arm.  
"I'll send the girls outside."

Carbine and Gaya came outside with a worried look on their faces. They took place next to Dani, startled by her swollen eyes… and lips…  
"Dani, what happened?", Carbine asked, gently taking her hand.  
Dani slammed a hand before her mouth, tears streaming over her face.  
"I don't know how to say this… God, girls… You are gonna hate me forever… I made a huge mistake…", she sobbed.  
Gaya shared a worried look with Carbine.  
"You can tell us everything, Dani. We will not judge you…", Gaya said.  
"Oh you will… You will judge me. But that's because I deserve to be judged…"  
Carbine shook her head in confusion.  
"Come on, Dani. Spill it. Everything you are saying isn't making any sense right now…"  
Dani took a deep breath.  
"Vinnie was upset, I wanted to help him… But things got out of control…", she said with a meaningful look on her face.  
Carbine gasped, but tried to sound calm.  
"How bad out of control?", she asked with urgence.  
"Eh… Very bad…"  
"Ah… I see…"  
There was a long silence. Dani didn't dare to look at them.  
Gaya took the word.  
"Listen, there is a tension, a sexual tension, between you guys since the moment you've met. Vinnie maybe tried to hide it, but I could see there was…"  
"What are you talking about? He loves Violet!", Carbine said sharply.  
"Yes, he does. But sexual tension is something different from love, Carbine. Dani, you have feelings for him. You said it was only lust. Is that true?"  
Dani hesitated, but decided to come clean.  
"No. I think I'm in love with him. But it was never my intention to stand between them. He is crazy about her, I can see that… It just happened. God, I feel like shit. I should have pushed him away…"  
Carbine rubbed her chin.  
"I can't be mad at you. Yes, it was wrong. Very wrong. But I have to admit… I kinda understand why you did it. You have feelings for him. He makes a move, you can't resist it…"  
Gaya nodded. "Yeah, I'm with Carbine in this. I'm not even that surprised. It's not really your fault… More Vinnie's, I guess…"  
"No. It's not his fault. Vinnie is worried sick about his girl. He was so upset… He needed a way to release stress. And I helped him with that… It was my fault. He wasn't thinking straight. I had a clear head, I should have stopped him..."  
Carbine stood up with a grimm draw around her mouth.  
"This has to stop. Violet needs to wake up and grab herself together. No matter how awful the things she has been through, this is wrong." And she marched inside.

In the meantime, Throttle signed to Modo he needed to talk to him. They climbed up the roof and sat down on the edge.  
"What's wrong, bro? You were not telling the truth back there, were you?"  
"I've caught Vinnie having sex with Dani…"  
Modo almost fell off the edge.  
"Say what?!", he roared, his eye glowing red.  
"You heard me. Dammit, what a mess. I've agreed with Dani we are gonna talk to Vinnie when he comes back. She is telling the girls as we speak."  
"Oh momma, Vinnie… why would he do that? Why?", Modo asked angrily.  
"I don't know. I suggest we ask him when he comes back… If he is coming back…"  
"Come on, Throttle. Of course he's coming back. He always does. Why you doubting him?"  
Throttle sighed.  
"I don't know. You're probably right. It's just… I never had thought he would cheat on Violet…"  
"Me neither… But I must say; this is one bad situation we are having here. I understand why he is not thinking straight. But he crossed a line…"  
"He sure did…"  
They suddenly heard commotion downstairs.  
"What now?", Throttle said tiredly, standing up.

When they came downstairs, they saw Carbine standing by Violet's hammock. She was shaking her roughly.  
"Violet, come on, WAKE UP!"  
"Carbine, chill…", Gaya said, trying to stop her.  
"No. Enough is enough", Carbine said and she raised her hand.  
"Carbine, don't!", Throttle yelled when he understood what she was gonna do, but he was too late.  
Carbine slapped Violet full in the face. Hard. The sound of the clap echoed through the scoreboard.  
"Carbine, I can't believe you just did that, you…", Gaya started, but suddenly Violet flew upright with her eyes wide open, gasping.  
"What the…", she whispered, looking around her.  
"Good. Welcome back, Vi", Carbine said, patting her arm.  
Violet shook her head. It felt like she woke up after sleeping for years. She stared at the faces in front of her. But she was missing one important face.  
"Where is Vinnie?", she asked, trying to stand up. Carbine gently pushed her back.  
"Violet, listen to me. You just woke up out of some kind of shock. You have been lying here for weeks, without food and water. You are weak. You need to rest. Vinnie is getting his head clear, since he is having a pretty hard time because he is worried sick. He will come back. Oh, and I'm sorry I've slapped you. But it was time you woke up."  
Violet suddenly felt cramps in her stomach, her dry mouth, a pounding headache… Memories flooded back, Liam… She grabbed Carbine.  
"Liam… Oh my god, Liam…", she sobbed. Carbine pulled her in her arms.  
"There was nothing you could do, Vi. He was already lost. He kidnapped you. He tried to hurt you. He tried to kill Vinnie. Don't forget that…"  
Violet sighed. "I know… I know… But…"  
"No. Now is not the time. You need to rest. When you get your strength back, we will talk. Okay?"  
Violet nodded. Gaya gave her a mug with soup.  
"Here, take this. You need to start slow with eating, otherwise you will be sick. Every hour, a small portion. And here is a glass of water. Drink slow. Understand?"  
Violet nodded, sipping from the soup. When the mug was empty, her eyes closed and after a few seconds, she was fast asleep.  
Throttle looked at Carbine. "I thought you had lost your mind too, but babe.. Good job."  
Carbine smiled and hugged him.  
"I wasn't sure it was gonna work. But thankfully, it did…"

When everybody was sitting at the kitchen table, Throttle took the word.  
"We all know what happened today. Modo and I will talk to Vinnie when he comes back. We are not gonna tell Violet anything right now, okay? She is too weak…"  
"I want to tell her. Or Vinnie has to. But I agree, she needs to get stronger first…", Dani said with a small voice.  
God, she felt awful. But when she looked around the group, she didn't saw any judgement or anger. That made her feel even more bad about herself. Anger she could handle. Compassion, disappointment.. that was a whole other story… She needed to be alone, just for one night. She stood up.  
"Guys, I'm gonna sleep in the hotel tonight. I need some time for myself, to put some things on a row… I eh… Yeah… Well… I'm sorry… for everything…", her voice broke and tears filled her eyes.  
"Dani… This is not your fault… You are free to stay…" Carbine tried to calm her down, but Dani shook her head.  
"No, I eh… I need some time for myself. I need to lay in bed, cry all night… hugging my pillow… You know… girl stuff…", she sobbed and quickly grabbed some stuff. She was about to run outside when Throttle stopped her.  
"Let me at least give you a ride, okay?"  
Dani stared at him, her under lip trembling, her green blue eyes wide open, filled with tears. She slowly nodded. "Okay. Okay. Thanks…"  
Throttle guided her to his bike and they drove out. The rest stayed behind in silence.

It was almost midnight, and Vinnie still wasn't back. Thankfully, Violet was so tired from everything, she was still sleeping. Throttle checked his tracker, but Vinnie had turned it off. He looked at Modo.  
"We need to look for him. We owe it to Violet. And no matter how many lines he crossed today, he is still our bro. Family. We won't let family down."  
Modo nodded. "I hear ya, Throttle. Let's go."  
They first went to bar Black. They didn't saw his bike, but Throttle went inside to ask if somebody had seen the white furred mouse.  
Modo was waiting outside. What a mess…  
Throttle walked out of the bar. "He was here alright. Got drunk and left on his bike."  
Modo shook his head. "Oh, Vinnie… when are you finally going to learn?"  
Throttle stepped on his bike and leaned on his handlebars.  
"He can't help it, Modo. Believe me, I'm mad at him. But… Dammit! He never learned to handle all this. If we need to blame someone, blame his mother, for fuck sake. And me. I shouldn't have listened to all of you. Everybody kept telling me to let him solve his own problems. That I needed to give him space. And look where that brought him. I should have known… Him and Dani. There was always something going on between them. He maybe didn't notice it, but I saw it… DAMMIT!"  
Modo grabbed Throttle by the shoulder.  
"Bro. This isn't your fault. Don't blame yourself. Stop carrying the whole world on your shoulders, Throttle. Vinnie is responsible for his own actions."  
"You sound like Carbine. But he is my responsibility. It's my job to protect him. To take care of him…"  
"Why are you so protective over him? Why..", but Throttle interrupted him.  
"Because I promised her, alright?! I promised my mother while she was dying in my arms. She told me to take care of him. That he couldn't help it. That he needed someone to watch over him. I promised her…"  
Modo was speechless. He never knew. Throttle and Vinnie were never very open about their shared past.  
"Throttle, I… I didn't knew… I'm sorry…"  
Throttle shook his head. "No sorry, big fella. Come, we need to find him."

They drove through the city. "Let's check Lake Michigan."  
When they parked their bikes at the beach, Modo punched Throttle softly at the arm and pointed at the beach. Throttle followed his finger and relief flooded through his body. There he was. The white furred mouse was lying motionless in the sand. Throttle quickly ran over to him and kneeled down next to his bro. Modo kneeled down too. Throttle quickly checked Vinnie, but he seemed fine. Except for the fact that he was very drunk. And very emotional. And very upset.  
"Vincent. Vincent, look at me." Vinnie shook his head, his eyes closed. He was a mess.  
"Dammit, Vinnie, why are you doing this to yourself?!", Throttle growled while slapping Vinnie in the face to keep him awake.  
Vinnie opened his eyes.  
"I… I think… I wanna die, Throttle. I lost her. I can't live without her. Without her, I'm falling apart… She is holding me together… But now… I'm losing it... ", he cried. It seemed he couldn't keep his head straight, he kept shaking. Probably the alcohol.  
"Vinnie, listen to me. Violet is awake. She is going to be fine. Do you hear me? She is gonna be fine", Throttle grabbed Vinnie by his chin to keep his attention.  
"She.. She is awake? But… I was so stupid… I betrayed her… Gosh… I hate myself…"  
Throttle looked at Modo. He never had seen Vinnie like this. Angry, yes. Drunk, yes. Suicidal… no… Well, REAL suicidal… Throttle had thought he was broken after they lost Charley. But he now knew that was nothing compared to this. He felt his throat tighten. His little bro was about to give up...  
"It was… it was… nice… though… That makes.. it even worse… I enjoined it... ", Vinnie whispered, his eyes half open.  
Modo didn't knew what to do. His heart was sore. To see his bro like this… It was heartbreaking.  
"Vinnie, stay awake. Don't fall asleep. What did you drink?", Throttle demanded.  
Vinnie started laughing. "Who.. who cares… Nobody cares… Nobody ever cared…"  
"We care, Vinnie! You are my bro! Don't you see? I CARE! And I don't want to lose you! Things will be okay, Vinnie. I will make sure they will be okay…", Throttle's voice broke.  
"Dammit, Vincent! Don't give up... I want you there when my baby is born. I want to see you are holding my child. Don't you understand? You are my little bro…"  
Modo felt a tear escaping his eye. He lay a hand on Throttle's shoulder. He looked at Vinnie and felt his heart stop. Vinnie's eyes were half open, flying in every direction. He saw muscles spasm under his skin. His tail was twitching, just like his ears. This was no normal drunk. No. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

* * *

Please review! :)


	23. Chapter 23

Thanks for the review! :)

* * *

 **Chapter twenty three**

"Vincent, look at me. LOOK AT ME!", Modo suddenly roared, grabbing Vinnie's head to keep it still. Vinnie tried to focus, but it was no use.  
"What did you do, Vincent? What did you do? TELL ME!", Modo yelled, feeling panic now.  
Throttle, alarmed by the sudden chance in Modo's behaviour, grabbed Modo.  
"What is wrong, big fella?"  
"I don't know, but this is more than just a drunk. Something is wrong. Vincent, look at me. Tell me, bro, come on!"  
Vinnie opened his mouth. He was trying to say something. Modo perked his ears.  
"I'm… I'm sorry…", he heard Vinnie whispering.  
"NO! No, Vincent, come on. Don't give up. Tell me what you have done! What did you take? Please, Vin, you can't do this to us. Stay with me."  
But Vinnie lost consciousness. Modo shook him roughly, but he didn't react.  
"Oh momma, Vinnie, what have you done… Throttle, we need a doctor. Maybe we can still save him. We can't just let him die. We can't. We need a doctor…"  
Throttle knew the big fella was right, but where could they find a doctor?  
"Call 911, we will see what happens when they arrive, but we can't let him die, you hear me?", Modo demanded.  
Throttle nodded and ran to his bike. He called 911.  
"911, what's your emergency?"  
"Please, my bro… we think he is poisoned or something. I don't know what's wrong with him, but we need a doctor, now!"  
"And what is your location, sir?"  
"Lake Michigan. At the beach."  
"Lake Michigan is very big, sir. I want you to try to be a little bit more specific."  
"I don't know, alright? Track my signal, I don't care, but do something."  
"Alright, alright. Let me see... Ah. I got your signal. The ambulance will be there in a few minutes. Try to stay…", but Throttle hung up.  
He ran back to Vinnie and fell on his knees.  
"They are on their way. How is he?"  
"Still breathing and his muscles are still cramping."

After a few minutes that felt like hours, no years, they heard a siren. Throttle jumped at his feet.  
"I will talk to the medics first."  
The ambulance stopped close by and two medics jumped out. They ran to the beach with a bag, but Throttle stopped them.  
"Sir, you need to let us through, otherwise..." but Throttle interrupted him.  
"Listen, I made the call, okay? It's my bro who is needing your help. But you really need to know something…", and he pulled off his helmet.  
The two medics stared at him, their mouth open.  
"It's a long story, but please, listen. You can't take him to a hospital, okay? We are the good guys and we don't want to end up in Area 51. Can I trust you?"  
The medics looked at each other, but luckily for Throttle, they were also the good guys. They both nodded. Throttle nodded back and let them through.  
One medic kneeled down next to Vinnie, the other opened the bag. Throttle did a step back and dragged Modo with him to give them space.  
The medic quickly examined Vinnie.  
"His pulse is very weak, the muscle tensions indicate some kind of overdosis. Give me a braunule, the pink one." His colleague quickly gave him the supplies he needed. When the needle was in Vinnie's hand, he taped it so the needle would stay on his place.  
"Give me 5 ml adrenaline and 20 ml dexamethason", the first medic ordered. He injected the drugs into Vinnie's IV.  
"Okay, grab a infusion bag of 500 ml." The second medic quickly ran to the ambulance and came back with the infusion. The first medic connected the infusion and stood up. He walked over to Throttle and Modo.  
"I need some info. First; what did he take?"  
"We don't know, when we found him he wasn't clear in his head anymore. The only thing we know is that he drunk a lot of alcohol…", Throttle answered.  
"You are obviously not human. But your bodies are very similar to them, am I right?"  
"Yeah, I guess.. We do heal quicker than humans. And we need a higher dosage than humans. That's all we know. I'm no doctor, I only can practise some first aid, but that's it…", Modo said, still a little bit of panic in his voice.  
"Well, since we can't take him to a hospital, it's gonna be hard to find out what he took. The only thing we can do, is fight the symptoms."  
He turned around and quickly checked Vinnie again. It looked like he was reacting well on the drugs. His pulse was stronger and his muscles were relaxed. Let's see if he could wake him up.  
"Sir. Wake up", he said, clapping on the cheek of the white furred mouse.  
No response.  
"Sorry about this", the medic said and he pinched in the muscle under his clavicle.  
That worked. Vinnie's eyes flew open.  
"Do you hear me?"  
Vinnie looked at him confused, but then slowly nodded.  
"I need you to tell me what you took."  
Vinnie opened his mouth, but his voice failed on him.  
"Come on, if you want my help, you need to tell me."  
Throttle kneeled down next to Vinnie.  
"Vincent, it's okay. He is here to help you. I understand how confusing this must be. But we are here, we are with you, bro."  
"I… I took some pills… Someone gave them to me. Said that would… take my.. my pain away… Don't know.. know what it was… I just drank way too much…", he trailed off, his eyes closing again.  
"VINNIE! Stay with us, bro. Come on, fight it. I know you can. You are the baddest mammajammer from Mars, and don't you forget it!"  
Vinnie's eyes flew open again.  
"No… I'm… I'm nothing…"  
That hit Throttle straight in the heart.  
"Oh man, Vinnie…", he sighed.

The medic checked him again. "I think he is gonna be fine.. Well, physically. You were right about the quick healing. He just needs a good night sleep, but wake him up a couple of times, alright? Ask him simple questions. If he answers them correctly, he can sleep again. You think you can handle it?"  
Throttle nodded. "Yeah, we will be fine. Thanks. For helping us. And please…"  
"No worries, mate. We will not tell anybody about this. Your secret is safe with me." The medic quickly grabbed a piece of paper and wrote down something on it. He gave it to Throttle.  
"This is my personal number. If you ever need help again, you are free to call me. The name is Rooney."  
Throttle took the note and put it in his pocket and offered his hand.  
"Throttle. That is Modo and this is Vinnie. Thanks, for giving your number. That is very kind of you."  
"No problem. Take care, mate."  
He clapped Throttle on the back and quickly removed the IV. He nodded one more time at Throttle and walked back to the ambulance, followed by his colleague.  
Throttle sat down next to Vinnie. Modo joined him.  
"We can't take him back to the board. If Violet sees him like this…", Throttle said, his voice shaky.  
Modo clapped him on the back. "I will call Carbine. We can stay the night here."  
When Modo came back, Vinnie was sleeping. Throttle stared at him, feeling like he had failed. He had failed his bro. This was gonna be a long night…

The next morning, Violet woke up with a startle. She looked around her. Carbine was sitting next to her. "Easy, Vi. You're safe."  
"Where is Vinnie? I want to see him… I need him... "  
"He is not here. I'm sorry…"  
"Why is he not here? It's nothing like him to stay away from me this long. Especially when I need him."  
"There are some… complications. Nothing to worry about. You need to rest."  
"No, I'm fine. Complications? What are you talking about?"  
Carbine sighed. "Listen, it's not my story to tell, okay? I can promise you this; he will come back and he will explain everything."  
"No. No, I want to see him. NOW. Please, I need him…", Violet pleaded.  
"Violet, listen to me, I can't tell you what happened, I.."  
"No. But I can."  
Both Violet and Carbine looked up and saw Dani standing. She looked like she went to hell and came straight back. Her eyes were bloodshot and swollen, her skin paler than the moon…  
"Jezus, what happened to you?", Violet asked shocked.  
"Dani, we have talked about this…"  
"I know. But she has the right to know. Not later, but now."  
"Dani…"  
"To know what?"  
Violet and Carbine were talking at the same time. Dani held up her hand.  
"Please Carbine, let me do this."  
Carbine sighed and raised her hands. "Fine. Fine." and she walked away.  
Dani slowly sat down next to Violet, already crying again.  
Violet stared at her. "Dani, what's wrong? You're scaring me…"  
Dani took a few deep breaths. "Oh god, I don't know how to tell you this… I've betrayed you on the most cruel way, Violet. I…", her voice broke.  
A bad feeling crept over Violet. She stared at Dani. What was she talking about? What did she do?  
"Dani… please… just tell me… no matter how bad it is… but just tell me…"  
"I… I… Yesterday… Jezus, I can't…"  
"Dani, spill it. Now. You are scaring me."  
"I've slept with Vinnie", Dani blurted out.  
Violet felt like she was hit with a hammer. No. This couldn't be true. Vinnie would never do that to her… Dani neither.  
"No… you're lying…", she whispered. Dani shook her head.  
"I wish I was… It's true, Violet. I did the one thing I promised I would never do."  
Violet felt like she was gonna be sick.  
"No… why? Why would you do that to me?", she asked, her voice low.  
"He was upset, he was so worried about you… He was losing it… I tried to calm him down and things got out of control…"  
"That is not an answer to my question. Why would you do that to me?", Violet asked again, her voice louder this time.  
"I… Because I love him… There is no excuse. I simply couldn't resist him…"  
Violet felt a panic attack coming. Her heart was beating so loud, she could hear it echoing in her ears. Her hands started to shake. Tears filled her eyes. She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. How could Vinnie do this to her? How could he betray her like this? There must be a reason. But she wasn't sure she wanted to hear it.

"Violet?" Carbine's voice. She looked up and saw that Dani was gone. Carbine pulled her in her arms.  
"I'm so, so sorry this happened… And actually, I didn't want to tell you this, but Dani is right. You deserve to know the truth. Something happened with Vinnie last night…"  
Violet pushed Carbine away, so she could look her in the eye.  
"What? What happened?", she demanded.  
"We are not sure, but he drank a lot of alcohol and took some pills… Two medics helped him.. Look, it's a long story. But as far as I understood, he totally lost his way. He couldn't handle the fact you were slowly killing yourself, and than that thing with Dani…"  
Violet tried to follow Carbine, but it was a lot to take. She slowly lay down again.  
"Is he gonna be okay?", she whispered. She actually didn't understand why she cared. But she did.  
"Physically, yes. Mentally? I don't know. Is also depending on you, I guess…"  
Violet nodded slowly. "I need some time. I need to think."  
Carbine gave her a kiss on her forehead.  
"I will leave you alone. If you need me, I'll be outside."  
Violet stared at the ceiling. She wanted to cry, but the tears refused to come. Everything was falling apart since the moment Liam showed up. She felt empty. Dead inside. She knew she had to be angry at Vinnie because of what he did. But she couldn't. She knew how he was. And even she hasn't been around the last few weeks, it was not hard for her to guess how he had reacted on all this. He probably lost it, Dani was there to calm him down and he needed a way to release some of his stress. He used her, she realized. Her heart was sore. Poor Vinnie... Wait, what? Poor Vinnie? He betrayed you, Violet. Yeah. And that hurt like hell. What was she gonna do? Jezus… She needed to talk to him. She needed to hear his side of the story. And then she will decide what she was gonna do.

Meanwhile, at Lake Michigan, Throttle and Modo woke up.  
"Oh momma, what a hell of a night", Modo sighed, stretching his sore muscles. Sleeping on the ground was really uncomfortable. Throttle yawned and looked at Vinnie. The white furred mouse was still fast asleep. They had woke him up a few times last night and the last time, his head was almost clear. Throttle shook him.  
"Vincent, wake up."  
Vinnie opened his eyes. He looked around him confused, but then it hit him. Fuck… He messed up, big time. He slowly got upright, stretching his muscles.  
"Morning bro's…", he said nervously. He didn't dared to look them in the eye. He had never felt so ashamed about himself.  
"Vin, it's okay. We're not mad. We're just glad you are still with us", Throttle said, studying Vinnie's face.  
But Vinnie still didn't look at him. Jezus, what had he done? He betrayed Violet and after that… he betrayed himself. He didn't fight it. No… He just gave up. He never gave up. He had dragged himself to his lowest, darkest point and he had done nothing to stop it. And his bro's had witnessed it all… Fuck… fuck, fuck, FUCK!  
"I eh… I need to talk to Violet…", he mumbled, playing with the tip of his tail. Throttle sighed.  
"She knows, Vinnie. Carbine called this morning. Dani told her."  
"What? I wanted to tell her… She had no right to tell her!", Vinnie growled.  
"She had every right, Vinnie. You both betrayed her."  
"I know, I know…"  
"Why did you do it, Vincent? Why are you throwing away everything you have? Why?", Throttle demanded, still upset and trying to understand his younger bro.  
Vinnie sighed. "Because I'm stupid. I… I was so upset yesterday, I didn't knew what to do… I was losing my mind, big time. And then there was Dani. All willing to help me. I just made a decision, I knew she wasn't gonna turn me down. Hell, I can't justify what I did. It was wrong. But at the same time…" he stopped himself. He was not gonna tell them he actually enjoyed it.  
"You liked it. You told us yesterday, bro", Modo said softly. Vinnie squeezed his eyes. Ugh. He and his big mouth.  
"I don't know what to say bro… you scared us yesterday. Big time. I never saw you like that before. And I want to say how sorry I am… I failed you. I vowed to watch over you, to protect you… But I've failed you…", Throttle said.  
Vinnie stared at him. Say what?  
"Throttle… You… What? I'm not following you, bro. I'm responsible for my own actions, right?"  
"I made a promise… I promised my mother I was gonna look after you, right before she died. I broke that promise…"  
Vinnie swallowed. Jezus. He never knew. It did explain a lot, you know… Why Throttle was always so protective over him.  
"Jezus, Throttle… I… You didn't fail me bro. Please, don't turn this on yourself. I made a lot of mistakes, I failed myself…"  
"Yeah, you did. But it was me who should have been there to stop you."  
"Throttle, I really appreciate the thought, but you do know you are not always gonna be around, right? I need… Ugh, I don't know. Apparently I do need you to look after me. Apparently, I can't take care of myself…"  
"Things are not lost yet, Vinnie", Modo said, patting him on the arm.  
"They are. Violet doesn't want me anymore…"  
"You don't know that, bro. Talk to her."  
"And we will always be by your side, bro. We are family. And nothing's gonna change that", Throttle finished.  
Vinnie sighed. "Thanks, bro's. For being there for me. For ALWAYS being there for me…"

Violet was still lying in her hammock when she heard three engines approach. Shit. Vinnie.  
She slowly got up and on her feet. Her whole body protested, every muscle sore from lying in bed for so long. But she needed to face him while standing, with dignity.  
The bro's flew inside the board and Throttle and Modo quickly walked through the backdoor to give them some privacy. Vinnie slowly pulled off his helmet and looked at her. Violet's heart jumped in her chest. He looked like shit. He stepped off his bike and walked over to her.  
"Sweetheart, I…", he began, but he fell silent again.  
Violet suddenly felt a rage flooding through her body. How could he do this her? To them? She thought nothing was gonna break them apart. And he destroyed everything. She clenched her fists and started hitting on his chest.  
"WHY, WHY, WHY?! How could you do this to me?!", she cried, still hitting him.  
Vinnie didn't move, he didn't stop her. He just stood there, letting it happen. Violet fell on her knees, crying. Vinnie kneeled down next to her.  
"Sweetheart… I'm so, so sorry. I know it's not gonna make any difference, but I am sorry. Jezus, I…" He wanted to touch her, but pulled back his hand. He didn't knew how she was gonna react. She looked at him.  
"How could you do this to me?", she whispered.  
"I… I… You gave up. You were lying there for weeks, you didn't speak, you didn't eat… You just lay there. I did everything I could to let you know I was there, but you didn't hear me. You were dying, Violet. You gave up!" Vinnie took a deep breath to control himself.  
Violet stared at him with wide eyes, breathing heavily.  
"I was losing my mind. The thought of losing you… It is you who is holding me together, you know that right? And you just gave up. So… I gave up too... I stopped fighting. I stopped thinking. I acted out of emotions."  
Violet didn't knew what to say. The anger was gone. There was only a big, gaping hole in her heart.  
"The way you reacted at Liam's dead, I couldn't handle it. I still hear your screams in my head. They keep me awake at night. You were broken, and there was nothing I could do. You shut me out."  
"So, you are saying that all this, everything that happened, is my fault?", she asked with a ice cold look in her eyes, her voice toneless. Vinnie's head jerked up.  
"What? No! I'm telling you the story from point of view…"  
"I need time. Time to think."  
"Sweetheart, please. Don't leave me… I…" but Violet held up her hand.  
"Stop, Vincent. I don't want to hear it anymore. Not now. I need time. I… I want to go back to Coelum. I need some time alone…"  
Vinnie stared at her, his eyes filled with tears. But he knew he needed to let her go. She needed her space. She deserved her space.  
"Okay. Okay, fine. Whatever you need…"  
He stood up and walked to the backdoor. Halfway, he stopped. It looked like he was gonna turn around and say something, but apparently he changed his mind and walked outside. The door shut with a bang.  
And at that point, Violet broke.

The next day, Jake was there to pick up Violet. Carbine had decided, in consultation with Throttle, to go with Violet. Throttle wanted her at a safe place, to protect his girl and their baby. Carbine agreed. Gaya decided to come too. The bro's were gonna stay on Earth a little longer, to recover and wait till Mozz was gonna make a move.  
Jake was waiting in the ship till the girls were ready. Throttle held Carbine tightly.  
"I'm gonna miss you, babe. But as soon things are under control here, we'll come back."  
"I'm gonna miss you too, handsome. But for now, this is the best option. Please, be careful. I want you back in one piece. I want you to be there when I give birth to our baby…"  
"I will, babe. I promise."  
Modo gave Gaya a tight hug.  
"Be careful, little darling. I'm gonna miss you. But soon, we will be together again."  
"I'm gonna miss you, you big lug. I love you."  
"I love you too…"  
Vinnie was hanging back, watching the two couples saying goodbye to each other.  
Violet was standing next to Carbine. Her gaze stopped on Vinnie. He looked back at her with sadness. And regret. She sighed, turned around and walked into the ship. Vinnie watched her till she was out of sight. A tear escaped his eye. But he did nothing. He just stood there. There was nothing he could do and he knew that.  
Carbine and Gaya waved at Vinnie, but he didn't wave back. He simply didn't had the strength. They walked into the ship and soon after that, the ship rose into the air. The bro's watched the ship till it was gone. Vinnie sighed and walked inside the board. He crawled into his hammock, pulling the blanket over his head. He could smell Violet everywhere. He closed his eyes, his thoughts miles away, filled with selfhate and regret.

* * *

Please review! :)


	24. Chapter 24

Thanks for the reviews!  
Youkai55; Sorry to hear. I've been there myself too. And unfortunately at the same place Vinnie was.  
I hope you are doing better now?

A lot of my own feelings and emotions are put in this story. All of my stories, actually. I gave a own twist at the circumstances though, but the feelings and emotions are very simulair to my own.

Anyway, next chapter. A tense one.

* * *

 **Chapter twenty four**

Dani was staying in a hotel. She hadn't been at the scoreboard since she told Violet what she had done. She was lying in bed all day, feeling guilty. But also rewinding her moment with Vinnie over and over again in her head. God, it was just quick, rough sex. But it was amazing at the same time. She sighed. Carbine had called her to tell her she, Gaya and Violet were going back to Coelum. Violet needed time to think and since Carbine was pregnant, it was the safest place to be. Gaya wanted to be there for her girls, so she left too. That was weeks ago now and Dani hadn't felt herself this alone for a long time. The last few months has been great. She became good friends with the girls. And now, everything was ruined. Damn…

She heard a knock on the door. She ignored it, but the knocking continued. With a deep sigh, Dani slid out of bed and opened the door.  
Her eyes grew big when she saw Vinnie.  
"Vinnie, what…?"  
"I need to talk to you", he said, pushing her aside and letting himself in. He dropped on the bed and looked at her.  
"We need to talk about what happened."  
Dani kept her distance and took place on the big chair that was standing next to the bed. She studied Vinnie's face. He looked like hell. But she knew she did too.  
"Listen Dani, what happened between us was wrong. On so many levels…"  
"I know that. Do you think I don't know that?", she asked, sharper than she intended.  
"I wasn't sure. That's why I came to see you. And to apologize. I'm sorry I did this to you. I used you. And that is unforgivable."  
Dani swallowed. "I… I know you used me. I was fully aware of that."  
"You did? Then why…"  
"Why didn't I stop you? Because I feel something for you since that night we talked on the roof. I dreamed about you, the only thing in my head was you. But I promised Violet to stay away from you. Heck, I didn't even want to stand between you guys. You were the perfect couple. I didn't want to ruin that. But when you kissed me… I couldn't resist. It was a fantasy that came true. I knew it meant a lot more to me than to you, but at that point, I simply didn't care."  
Vinnie stared at her. He admired her honesty. That took a lot of courage.  
"Maybe you think it meant a lot more to you than to me, and maybe it did… but I enjoyed it. I liked it…", he said slowly, looking at her.  
Dani felt her cheeks burning. "You have to go. It's not safe to be in the same room together."  
But Vinnie shook his head.  
"Man, I feel like I'm losing my mind. My heart does belong to Violet, and I am gonna do everything to get her back. She is the one for me. Sorry to say this all so to the point, but it's the true. But the weirdest thing is that I enjoyed our little moment. And somehow, I regret it was over so quickly…"  
Dani closed her eyes for a moment. This wasn't happening.  
"Vinnie, you are upset. You aren't yourself right now. Don't do anything stupid. You already messed up, big time. Don't make it worse. Please…"  
"Maybe I am being myself. This is who I was, before Throttle took me under his wing. Maybe I'm just not made to be a one woman guy… Ugh, who am I kidding. Of course I'm not. I tried, you know. I really tried. But I fucked up. Again. I can't control myself. And I wonder.. why? Who am I? The guy I was with Violet? Or the guy I was before I met her? I honestly don't know…"  
"Vinnie, please, listen to me. I know you are a good guy. Violet achieved to get the real Vinnie up. The real you. And yes, you fucked up. But it wasn't a normal situation. I'm not trying to talk right what we did. But you were upset, Violet was on a bad place, you were thinking you were gonna lose her... "  
"Yeah, I did. And at that point, I should have done the right thing, namely staying by her side. Give her time. Be there for her. But no, I decided to fuck someone else and…" he trailed off when he saw the hurt look on her face.  
"Sorry, I don't mean to sound so insensitive…"  
Dani shook her head with closed eyes.  
"It's okay…" She opened her eyes and looked at him.  
There was so much pain in his eyes. Regret. Selfhate. Confusion. He didn't looked like the mouse she had met at all. He really lost his way. He was derailed. He was a mess. He was dangerous. And he has never looked this sexy.  
She could feel a tingle in her belly. She gave herself a mental shake.  
"You need to leave. Now." But it didn't sound confident. No. It almost sounded pleading. He knew perfectly well how to play her.  
"You love her, right?", she asked with a hoarse voice.  
Vinnie's eyes darkened by hearing her low voice.  
"Yeah, I do…", he whispered.  
"Then you need to fight for her. Forget about me…"  
"I know. But I'm not sure if I'm ready yet…" he said, also with a dangerously low voice.

Dani felt her body reacting. Dammit, this mouse.  
Vinnie's mouth curled at one side. He knew perfectly well how to use his charms, to get in a girls head. He did it every day, before his parents died. Before he was forced to be someone else. Before they tamed him. Before he couldn't make his own decisions. He did knew, somewhere deep in his mind, that because of Throttle, he had a loving family. People who cared about him. That because of Throttle, he wasn't alone. Because if he made his own decisions, he kept hurting people. He hurt Violet. He hurt Dani. But at this point, he just didn't care. He felt empty.  
He had thought, after he talked with Violet about his past, everything was gonna be okay. But it didn't. His past made him who he was right now. He couldn't turn back time and grow up in a loving family. No… He maybe was born pure, but he was damaged. Heavily damaged. Not made for a live filled with love, honesty and wisdom. He needed to stop fooling himself. He was who he was. You can't change someone, right? He thought he had changed. But apparently, the real Vinnie was still inside him. His bad side. But maybe his real side. Dammit.  
All these thoughts… he couldn't stop them. It felt like his head was filled with spiders. They crawled and crawled, tickling his brains. They didn't sleep. They didn't die.  
Dani was still staring at him, she could almost hear him thinking. But she had no idea what was going on his head right now. The Vinnie who was sitting here, wasn't the Vinnie she knew. He was a complete stranger to her.  
"Does Throttle knows you're here?", Dani asked slowly.  
"Nope… Of course not. He wouldn't approve…"  
Shit. Here she was, all alone with a mouse she couldn't resist and nobody knew he was here.  
"The thing is… I don't know who I am anymore. And it's killing me, you know?"  
Dani looked startled when he suddenly started talking again. She didn't know what to say. She was staring at her feet.  
Suddenly, he jumped off the bed and in two steps, he was standing right in front of her. He grabbed both armrest and bend over. She slowly lifted her head and gasped. The look in his eyes… It was the same look she had seen at the scoreboard, right before he made his move. But it was even more intense now.  
His lips curled into a arrogant smile.  
"You just can't resist me, now can you?", he whispered.  
Dani swallowed. She needed to tell him to back off. He was crossing so many lines. He was pushing her too far. But she couldn't. Her whole body was on fire, only because he was looking at her.  
"Vinnie, please… Don't make me do this… Please, just go away", but it sounded weak, even in her own ears. And she already knew she was too late.  
He came into action, lifted her up and threw her on the bed. He climbed on top of her and kissed her with a hunger she never had felt before in her life. No man could do to her what this mouse could. She moaned and kissed him back, her hands on his back, pushing him against her body. She pulled off his shirt and he did the same. But suddenly, he stopped. He lifted his head and perked his ears.  
"Shit. Throttle and Modo. I can hear their bikes…"  
He looked at her, breathing heavily. She stared back at him.  
"Do you like challenges?", he suddenly asked with a dark voice.  
"What do you mean?"  
"Well, living on the edge, you only live once, that kinda stuff?"  
"Eh, I guess?"  
"Good", he growled and ripped off her pants.  
"We got about two minutes till they are gonna stand at your door. And we certainly don't want them to catch us doing this, right?", he whispered in her ear.  
Dani closed her eyes and completely surrendered to him.

Throttle stopped his bike and saw Vinnie's bike parked by Dani's hotel. He sighed.  
"Oh no, he didn't…", he growled. Modo stopped next to him.  
"What is wrong with him, Throttle? I never saw him like this before…"  
"Well, I did. He was like this right before his parents died. My parents got him back on track, and I made sure he stayed there after they died."  
Throttle jumped off his bike and walked inside the hotel. Modo followed him. When they were standing at the door, Throttle sighed.  
"Well, here goes nothing…" and he knocked at the door. After a few seconds, Dani opened the door.  
"Hey guys. Come in."  
Throttle and Modo walked in. Throttle looked around. He saw Vinnie sitting on the chair next to the bed, mister innocence himself.  
"Bro's! What are you doing here?"  
"I should ask you the same thing, Vincent."  
"I needed to talk to Dani about what happened."  
Throttle rubbed his chin. The room looked like nothing had happened between them. But the tan furred mouse just didn't trust it. He looked at Modo, who shrugged. Throttle looked at Vinnie.  
"You coming, bro? We might have a lead where to find that drill Mozz was building before he left."  
Vinnie jumped at his feet.  
"Hell yeah. I really can use some action!"  
He winked at Dani and left the room. Modo followed him. Throttle was about to go too, but Dani quickly shut the door before his nose.  
"Throttle? There is something really wrong with Vinnie. You really should keep an eye on him."  
"What happened?", Throttle asked with urgence. Dani's cheeks turned red.  
Throttle closed his eyes and opened them.  
"Really? Again?"  
"Listen to me. I love him, okay? And I can't resist him, he knows perfectly well how to play me. But I'm putting my own feelings aside here. I don't want to be selfish or foolish. He and Violet belong together. He doesn't want me. He wants her. And it's priority number one to get them back together, you hear me? I think she is the only one who can save him from himself. I sure can't. I'm telling you this because I want him to be happy. And right now… he is everything but happy."  
Throttle opened his mouth, but Dani pushed him out of her room. "Now go, before he finds out that I told you," and she slammed the door behind him.  
Throttle slowly walked outside, deep in thoughts. Vinnie and Modo were already on their bikes, Vinnie was revving his engine impatiently.  
"Where to go, fearless leader?", he asked.  
Throttle frowned. Did he hear some kind of sarcasm in Vinnie's voice? Hmmm… Maybe he imagined it.  
"It's close by Lake Michigan. Let's rock…" but before they could finish it, Vinnie was already gone. Modo gave Throttle a confused look.  
"What the hell is wrong with him?"  
"I don't know, big fella. Let's ride."

Vinnie was driving like a madman. He cut off cars, he almost ran over a woman who was trying to cross the street…  
Throttle and Modo tried to keep up with him, but unfortunately for them, Vinnie was the one with the best bike skills. And he was using them full force now.  
"VINCENT!", Throttle yelled into the radio. "Slow down, NOW!" but Vinnie ignored him. The white furred mouse accelerated only more.  
"He is gonna get himself killed!", Modo said urgently.  
"Maybe that's what he wants", Throttle answered grimly.  
Suddenly, a car came out a side street and Vinnie needed to hit the brakes hard to avoid a crash. Just inches before the car, his bike stopped. Vinnie jumped off his bike and yanked open the door from the car.  
"Where the fuck did you get your driver licence, asshole?", he growled while dragging the guy out of the car.  
The guy was about to say something when Vinnie's fist hit his jaw, hard. He felt his jaw break and screamed in pain. But Vinnie kept hitting him, over and over again. His head was pounding, he could hear Violet's screams in his head, he heard Dani moaning his name, he saw himself ripping off her pants, he saw the pain in Violet's eyes when she was hitting him, he saw himself as a teenager, drunk and fighting with everybody around him to protect himself from being disappointed, he saw his mom with that ice cold look in her eyes the day she told him he was dead to her, his dad with that tormented look in his eyes, he felt the pain, the sorrow, the loneliness, the betrayal… Tears filled his eyes, he couldn't stop the scream that burned his throat…  
Suddenly, two pairs of hands that grabbed him by the arms, dragging him away from the guy who was lying motionless on the ground. He heard Throttle screaming his name, but it sounded dull. He struggled to get free, to continue what he was doing. He vaguely heard Modo screaming his name too. Why did they sound so far away? Why didn't they let him go? Were they even holding him? He kept struggling, he wanted to kill the guy who was stupid enough to be in his way, he…  
He felt a hard blow against his jaw and something snapped in his head. The last thing he saw was the clear blue sky and after that, only darkness…

Jake walked over to Carbine and Violet, who were sitting at the lake.  
"Girls, Throttle is on the vidcom and he wants to speak to both of you. I get the feeling it's urgent."  
The girls jumped at their feet and followed Jake. They took place in the communication room, which was built while they were on Earth.  
Throttle's face was on the screen, looking very upset.  
"Throttle! Oh my god, are you okay?", Carbine asked, startled by the look on his face.  
"No. I'm not okay. I need to talk to both of you."  
"About what?", Violet asked, but she already knew the answer.  
"About Vinnie."  
"What's going on, Throttle?", Carbine asked urgently.  
"Vinnie is out of control. Totally out of control. I'm sorry Violet, I didn't want to involve you, I know you need time… But I need you. Well, technically, Vinnie needs you."  
Violet took a deep breath.  
"What happened?"  
"I need to be honest with you. I'm sorry, but you are not gonna like this. We found him at Dani's place today, we wanted to follow a lead on that drill, so we decided to pick him up, since he wasn't answering his radio. When we walked out, Dani stopped me. She told me… I'm sorry, Vi, but it happened again. And she told me there was something really wrong. That I needed to keep an eye on him. I didn't quite understood what she was talking about, but it all became very clear when Vinnie almost killed a innocent driver because he was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. It took both me and Modo to pull him off the poor guy. And if things weren't bad enough already, Modo needed to knock him down because he was driven by insanity…"  
Violet processed all this. He slept with Dani, again? What the fuck was wrong with him? And why in the world would he attack an innocent guy? Tears filled her eyes.  
"And why do you think I want to help him? Why do you think I still want anything to do with him after everything he had done to me? Why do you think I still care?", she asked, her voice thick with emotion.  
"Because I know you still love him."  
That simple statement hit her. Hard. Straight in the heart. Throttle was right, no matter how hard she was trying to deny it. She still loved him. Even now, when she heard what he had done today, she still loved him. She knew this wasn't him. And she knew she was the only one who could save him from himself.  
Carbine looked at her.  
"Violet, you need to be honest. If you don't want this, if this is too soon, you need to say it", she said. Throttle agreed.  
"Carbine is right. I know I'm asking a lot of you right now. You are free to say…"  
"Okay. I will come back", Violet said before Throttle could finish his sentence.  
"Are you sure?"  
"Yeah. I am. I will ask Jake if he wants to bring me back."  
"I'll come with her", Carbine said, but Throttle shook his head.  
"No. It's not safe.."  
"Throttle, I'm pregnant, not sick. I will go back when everything is back to normal with you guys. But I want to be there, for Violet. In case she needs me."  
"Okay, fine. I will see you guys tomorrow."  
Carbine shut down the vidcom and looked at Violet.  
"You sure you are ready for this?", she asked.  
"Yes. Never been so sure before in my life", Violet said with a determined look on her face.  
Carbine admired her strength. And her loyalty. She wasn't sure if she could do the same if Throttle would betray her like Vinnie had betrayed Violet. But that's what she liked so much about Violet. Always willing to give second chances. Always seeing something good in a person. It truly was a gift. This girl was very special. And she sure hoped Vinnie was going to see that, before it was too late...

* * *

Please review! :)


	25. Chapter 25

Thanks for the review. Haha yeah, I understand you see Vinnie like that right now. But there is more to it. :)

* * *

 **twenty five**

Throttle walked back into the scoreboard after his call with Coelum. Modo was sitting on the couch, Vinnie was still knock out in his hammock.  
"And?", Modo asked at his bro. Throttle grabbed a rootbeer and joined Modo on the couch.  
"Violet and Carbine are coming back to Earth. Violet is willing to help Vinnie. Really, that girl is something special, I have to say that."  
"Yeah, she sure is. I would totally understand if she didn't want him anymore…"  
There was a silence. Modo took a deep breath.  
"Maybe it's not your story to tell, but I'm still gonna ask it. What happened to Vinnie? When he was young?"  
Throttle stared at his rootbeer.  
"You have the right to know, after everything that happened. Vinnie's mom was not a loving person. She abused him. She hit him, he ended in the hospital like a hundred times or so. She was telling everybody that he was clumsy. One day I asked him how in the world he could be that clumsy. He told me the truth. His mom beat the living shit out of him, and his dad let it all happen. Well, I must say, his dad tried, you know. When he was with Vinnie, he always tried to make sure that Vinnie had a good time. But they never talked about their worries, about what Vinnie's mom was doing to him… Anyway, my father tried to talk some sense in Vinnie's mom, but she didn't listen. Well, the good thing was; she stopped hitting him. Instead, she ignored him completely. Like he didn't even existed… Can you imagine? Your own son… After that, Vinnie completely changed. Fighting, always getting into trouble… When he was kicked out of school, it became even worse. He was drunk every night, used girls for sex…"  
"Oh momma... ", Modo sighed. He felt sorry for his little bro. Of course, he was mad at him. The things he did to Violet, Dani, to that poor guy… But still…  
"Yeah, you can say that alright. One night, I found him at his parents house. The Plutarkians bombed it, his parents were dead. He was lying on the ground, laughing and crying hysterically. To be honest with you, he scared the shit out of me. The look in his eyes… Man… I took him with me. My parents talked with him, gave him a place in the family. On one condition: he needed to get his life back on track. So, no more partying, no more alcohol, no more sex and no more fighting. He did what him was asked. Slowly, he turned into the mouse we all know; happy, cheerful, an ego bigger than Mars, a hothead and eager to get himself in the most dangerous situations. He had found Sweetheart in the barn next to their house, apparently his dad had build it from scratch, specially designed for Vinnie and Vinnie alone. He practised his bike skills everyday. Well, soon after that the war got worse and we met each other at the Freedom Fighters."  
"Yeah, I remember alright. I remember when I saw him for the first time. Oh momma, how he could annoy me. But I soon found out he actually was a very sweet, loyal guy under all the bravado. But the way he is now… I don't know him like this…"  
Throttle didn't knew what to say. He was shocked by Vinnie's behaviour today. But he had recognized the look in his eyes. It was the same look he had seen that night Vinnie lost his parents.  
"Why is he acting like this?", Modo suddenly asked.  
"He is pain. He never learned how to handle emotions. And, he has a lot of similarities with his mom. She was just as explosive. But there is one difference. Vinnie is a good guy. Even now, I know he is a good guy. His mom was bad news."  
"But why now? Why didn't this happen before?"  
"I'm not sure. I thought that after he talked to Violet about his past, he was gonna be okay. He looked okay. He said he felt better. But I think he did what he always does; pushing his pain away. And then the whole Liam thing, Violet who was far gone… He felt betrayed by us because we didn't believed him about Liam, he felt betrayed because Violet gave up… He just broke. There is only so much a mouse can take. I thought he was broken after Charley died, but now… Man… I feel guilty, you know?"  
Modo shook his head.  
"This isn't your fault. Vinnie needs to find out who he really is. If you are always there to protect him, to stop him from doing something stupid, to try to tame him… This is a journey, don't you see? He is trying to find out who he really is. And that is no easy journey. But I think that in time, he will be okay. Okay with who he is. And we can only hope we are gonna be okay with it too. But if we're not… If he choose to live like this, we need to let him go, Throttle. We can't always running after him, to clean up his mess… That's no life."  
"I can't just let him go, Modo. I…"  
"You need to focus on your wife, your baby… That's what's making you happy. You can't just throw all of that away because you made a promise to your mother. I never met her, but I'm sure that she never wanted that you would throw away your own happiness for Vinnie. And I'm not saying we need to let him go now… No way. I'm also way too attached to that loudmouth. Don't tell him I've said that. For now, we are gonna be there for him."  
Throttle sighed. "You're right. Let's just hope he is gonna come around. Let's hope Violet can help him."

Suddenly, Vinnie moaned. Both Modo and Throttle turned their heads to look at their younger bro. His eyes were open and he was rubbing his jaw.  
"Man, what hit me?", he asked confused.  
"I did", Modo said dryly.  
Vinnie glared at him. "Well, thanks bro. That's where family is for, right?", he said sarcastic.  
"You left me no choice, BRO", Modo snarled back.  
"Right. Why don't you two just leave me alone?" Vinnie jerked upright and jumped out of his hammock. His head was pounding and he saw stars before his eyes. Okay, macho mouse. Take it easy. He wanted to walk to his bike, but Throttle grabbed him.  
"And where do you think you are going?", he demanded.  
"Out. I need to be alone."  
"No dice."  
"And who is gonna stop me?", Vinnie asked, his voice low.  
"We are", Modo said, standing right before his bro. "Don't make me hit you again, Vinnie."  
Vinnie glared at Modo, who glared back with his eye glowing red. Vinnie decided he was not gonna win this. He yanked himself free and dropped on the couch.  
"FINE", he said, crossing his arms before his chest, looking like a child who didn't get his way.  
Throttle and Modo took place next to him. Vinnie stared angrily ahead, avoiding to look at his bro's.  
"Well, I really have one burning question…", Throttle started, his voice low. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"  
Vinnie ignored him, still staring at a some point in front of him.\  
"Oh, come on, Vincent. Don't act like a small child. You almost killed a guy, and for what? What is gotten into you?"  
Vinnie snorted and clenched his jaws. The tip of his tail was twitching. Throttle noticed the signs, but decided to ignore them.  
"Well? You can't ignore me forever. And you are not going anywhere. So, here we are, stuck at the board. We got all the time of the world. We might as well use it. I think we deserve an explanation since we are the ones who dragged you away from that guy."  
"Yeah, well… you're choice, not mine. So, no. I don't owe you an explanation."  
Modo smacked him against the back of his head.  
"Stop acting like this, Vinnie. This isn't who you are. Come on! Where is the happy, cheerful guy we all know so well? He still must be in there, right?"  
Vinnie slowly shook his head.  
"That guy is dead."  
That answer shocked both Throttle and Modo. Their bro was far more gone than they had thought. They both knew that their only chance to get their bro back on track, was Violet. Hopefully, she was gonna be here soon…

Violet stared out of the window of the spaceship and sighed when she saw Quigley Field. Here goes nothing… Jake landed the ship safely and turned around to face Carbine and Violet.  
"Here we are, ladies. Ready?"  
They both nodded and Jake opened the loading dock. Throttle walked over to them to greet them. Carbine jumped in his arms.  
"Hey handsome..", she whispered in his ear, holding him tightly. Throttle wrapped his arms around her.  
"Hey babe… Welcome back."  
Violet walked out of the ship, followed by Jake. Throttle let Carbine go and pulled Violet in his arms.  
"Hey, girl. You okay?", he asked worried, rubbing her back. She held him tightly.  
"No… No, I'm not. But I will be, one day." Throttle let her go. Violet looked at him.  
"How bad is it?", she asked hesitant.  
"Bad. We managed to keep him here, but he is… well, I guess you need to see it by yourself."  
Violet nodded and walked slowly to the stairs. She climbed up and grabbed the doorknob. Before she opened it, she took a deep breath and opened the door.  
Modo looked up and his face lit up when he saw her.  
"Hey, Violet ma'am. Welcome back!"  
"Thanks, Modo. Where is Vinnie?"  
"Up on the roof…"  
"Thanks."

Vinnie saw the ship landing from his place on the roof. His heart was fluttering in his chest. Throttle hadn't told him that Violet was coming back. Ah well… Why should he care? She was probably here to say they were done. He heard footsteps behind him, but he didn't turned around. He felt it was her. He could smell her. His heart pounded. Dammit. She still had the same effect on him as before. He could feel his hands turning sweaty.  
She took place next to him. He tried not to look at her, but he couldn't resist. He glanced at her from the corners of his eyes. She looked great. The weeks on Coelum had done her good. She was back to her normal weight and the despair that was chiseled on her face before she left, was now gone. But she did looked worried. He wondered why. Did she still care? He hardly could believe that. After everything he had done to her…  
Violet stared at her feet, trying to find the right words and hiding her shock. Her beloved husband looked like shit. Well, if someone who didn't knew him would look at him, they wouldn't see it. But she did. She felt it. He was far gone. She suddenly started doubting. Was she really able to get through to him? Did she even wanted to? Ugh. Of course she was. Otherwise, she would have stayed on Coelum. The truth was, she had missed him. Even after everything that had happened, she had missed him. And sitting next to him, to smell in scent… It felt like coming home. How was she gonna do this…  
"Wanna go for a ride, cutie?", she asked suddenly. Vinnie stayed silent for a while, but then shrugged.  
"Yeah, why not?", he said, trying to sound nonchalant. They stood up and climbed down.  
"Wait here", Violet said and she quickly walked outside to Throttle.  
"I am going to take him for a ride to the lake. My guess is that he will open up sooner since we are completely alone over there."  
Throttle rubbed his chin. "You sure? He is kinda… explosive at the moment…"  
"I'm sure. If something goes wrong, I will call you. But I think we will be fine."  
"Okay. Good luck."  
Violet walked back inside. Vinnie was already sitting on his bike. Violet climbed behind him.  
"Let's go the our place at the beach, okay?", she said, pulling on her helmet. Vinnie nodded and revved his bike. Violet sighed. She sure hoped this was gonna work.

They settled down in the grass. Violet took a deep breath. Here goes nothing.  
"Vinnie? I think we need to talk…"  
Vinnie was playing with the grass and shrugged.  
"Whatever…", he said toneless.  
"You can pretend like you don't care, but I know you. So stop fooling me and yourself. You do care. Otherwise you wouldn't be here", Violet said sharply.  
Vinnie sighed and looked at her for the first time. She gasped when she saw the look in his eyes. She didn't recognize it. It was a whirlwind of regret, anger, frustration… but the worst was his cry for help. She could see in his eyes that from the inside, he was screaming for help. But of course, he was too proud to say it out loud. Of course, he didn't knew how to ask for help. Her eyes filled with tears. Her poor macho mouse. Even he did hurt her, even he did betray her, she felt so much sadness when she saw the look in his eyes. He was completely lost. He was struggling to keep his head above the water. But he was so close to drowning. She felt she made the right decision to come back.  
"Please… don't cry, sweetheart. Don't cry for me…", he whispered. "I don't deserve it…"  
He raised his hand to wipe away a tear from her cheek, but then lowered it. He didn't know what to do. He never, ever felt this guilty. And that was weird. He thought he had found out who he was. The guy he was before his parents died. But back then, there was no guild. So why there was now? It drove him crazy. All these thoughts in his head, the doubt, the insecurity… The spiders in his head were there every day, every hour, every minute.  
"I don't deserve you…", he said softly.  
Violet shook her head. "I love you, Vincent van Wham. I love you so much. You have no idea how much I care about you. You simply can't feel what I'm feeling. And it breaks my heart to see you like this… To see you so lost… What happened, Vin? What happened, that we are sitting here, in this situation? When was the beginning of the end?"  
Vinnie was overwhelmed by his thoughts, his emotions, he couldn't speak. He tried, but his voice failed on him. He looked at Violet, despair in his eyes. His girl. His beautiful girl. Why was she being so kind to him? He had betrayed her. He had gave up on her. He should have known she was strong enough to climb back on her feet. But he had chose the easy way out. The way he was familiar with. Because he was scared. Scared for love. Scared for the pain he would feel if he would lose her. It didn't make any sense.  
"I… Gosh, sweetheart… I'm so sorry… for everything…", he said with difficulty. The pain in her eyes… He was responsible for that. He and him alone.  
"Please, Vin. Talk to me. Tell me what is going on inside that stubborn head of yours…"  
"I… I don't know… It's like I don't even know who I am anymore… There are spiders in my head, you know? They are tickling by brain the whole day, every hour. I can't stop them… I… they are driving me crazy…", he babbled, waving his hands. Violet grabbed them and held his hands tightly.  
"Look at me, Vinnie", she demanded. She was surprised by the strength of her voice. She was close to losing it too. But right now, she needed to be strong. For herself. For Vinnie. For them.  
Vinnie slowly lifted his head and looked her in the eye.  
"Listen to me. I am going to tell you something. You are confused. But I'm not. I can see everything crystal clear now. I know who you are. And this guy, who is using girls, beating up innocent people and drinks way too much, he is a part of you. But there is also that other guy. The guy I see when we have sex, when we are together, when I'm in trouble and you will do everything to make sure I'm okay… Don't you see? It's not that simple as making a choice between these two guys. They are both part of you. You just don't have a balance between them…"

It hit him like a hammer. Hard. She was right. Of course she was. She always was. She knew him better than himself. This girl… His girl… she was so special. And he was stupid enough to break their bond. But then he thought of it. Was their bond really broken? Maybe not… Cracked, yes… But broken? It didn't felt that way. It was time to open up. To be vulnerable. To show her he was willing to do everything to get her back. He took a deep breath and tried to control his shaky voice.  
"Sweetheart… I… You asked me when was the beginning of the end. As the way I see it, the day my mother decided to beat the shit out of me. That was the beginning. Because later, when she ignored me, I met my other side. My dark side. I would never had met him if my mother didn't do all these things to me. The things I've done when I was young, god.. You don't know the half of it. After Throttle's parents took me in, I fought to get back control. I did everything to get back on track. And after that, I fought to stay there. But he was always there, whispering in my ear. When Charley died, he came back. But then I met you. And you helped me to fight back again. But then the whole thing with my bike, with Liam… you… The way you reacted at Liam's dead, scared the shit out of me. To see you lying in that hammock, your soul miles away… I couldn't handle it. I panicked. And because I didn't know how to handle it at the right way, I chose the other way. The way I'm familiar with. But the weirdest thing is, the familiar way always causes more pain in the end. Especially this time… I'm tired, Violet. Tired of fighting. I just… I don't know…", his voice broke.  
Violet made a decision. She pulled him in her arms and he cried, his face in her neck. She stroked his back.  
"It's okay, Vin. It's okay. Things will be okay. It's gonna take time. It's gonna take hard work to rebuild the trust. But things will be okay. I promise you. And you need to stop fighting. Accept that that guy is a part of you. Embrace him. And take over control. Don't let that guy control you. No, control him. I know you can. And I will be on your side. To guide you. To help you wherever I can."  
Vinnie held her tightly, his face still buried in her neck. He sniffed up her scent. And he also made a decision. He was gonna fight for her. He slowly untangled himself, but held her hands. He looked in her eyes. She looked back.  
"I don't deserve you. But I am gonna do everything to show you I do. I hope, I really hope, we can overcome this. I really hope, you are willing to forgive me. I'm not asking to forgive me now, the things I did… But in time…"  
"I forgive you. Really, I do", she added with a small smile when she saw how surprised he looked at her.  
"Really? But… sweetheart… I…", but Violet pressed her lips on his to shut him up.  
Some would say she was naive. Some would say she was stupid, to give him another chance. Some would say she needed to tell him that he could rot in hell. But she couldn't. She simply loved him too much. And no matter how bad the things were he had done, she somewhere understood. And one thing she never had know so sure; they did belong together. And she had never, ever loved anyone as much as she loved him.  
She broke off the kiss and Vinnie touched her face.  
"One thing Liam was right about, you know… You truly are an angel in disguise…"  
Violet gently took his hand and kissed it.

"How are you feeling, sweetheart? After everything that happened? The whole Liam thing?", Vinnie asked curious.  
"I'm fine. I took me some time to process everything. I'm sorry I gave you the feeling I gave up. Maybe I did… But I'm back now. And I'm fine. Well, you did kinda broke my heart. But now, I know we will be fine."  
Vinnie nodded. He felt so much better. Violet always achieved to let him see things the way they were. The spiders were gone. He knew what to do now. And the first step was talking with his bro's and Dani.  
"I need to talk with my bro's, apologize… and Dani too…", he hesitantly added. Violet nodded.  
"Yeah.. What are we going to do about Dani?", she asked, a little bit sharper than she had intended.  
"It wasn't her fault, Violet. I used her. I played her. I know exactly which buttons to push to make her do what I want. She can't help the fact she loves me, you know. Feelings are feelings, you can't just turn them off…" He smiled. Look who was talking. Violet smiled too.  
"You're right. But can I trust you both? How do I know this is not gonna happen again?", she asked. She had to ask. Even if she forgave him, rebuilding trust cost time.  
"I can only give you my word. It will never happen again. And she would never make a move, you know. She respects you too much for that. No, the only one to blame is me. If I hadn't made a move, this was never happened..."  
Violet believed him. "Let's go back to the board. Let set things straight. And after that, we are going back to Coelum. There is nothing left for us here. I will talk to Throttle about it. He needs to see there are more important things than war. His wife, for example."  
"Yeah, I guess you're right... ", Vinnie said.  
"I always am, and don't you just hate me for it?" Violet said with a smugly smile. Vinnie laughed and shook his head.

Throttle, Modo and Vinnie were sitting on the tribune.  
"Bro's, I owe you a huge apology. There is no excuse for my behaviour…", Vinnie said, shuffling his feet.  
Throttle and Modo said nothing, waiting for Vinnie to continue. Vinnie was searching for words.  
"I eh… I was lost, I guess… I was losing my mind, literally. But Violet helped me to put some things in perspective… Well, I think I'm gonna be fine… I hope… But Violet forgave me. And she will help me… So… Yeah… ahum… hehe…"  
"Damn, Vin, you still suck at this", Modo smiled, clapping him on the back. Vinnie smiled sheepishly.  
"I know, I know…"  
Throttle was awfully quiet. Vinnie looked at him and lowered his eyes again.  
"Throttle, I…" But Throttle stopped him.  
"It's okay. Well, the things you've done, are so not okay. But we are. Okay."  
Vinnie's mouth curled into a smile.  
"You suck at this too! Who would have thought?"  
Throttle punched him on the arm.  
"I'm not perfect, you know."  
Modo also punched Vinnie. "Welcome back, Vinnie my man. Hope you are gonna stay this time…"  
Vinnie punched him back and soon, they were rolling down at the stairs, wrestling like nothing ever happened.

Meanwhile, Violet knocked at Dani's hotel door. The human girl opened the door and her eyes grew big.  
"Violet! You're back!"  
"Yeah, there were some… complications…"  
Dani lowered her eyes, but Violet gave her a little smile.  
"Can I come in?"  
"Sure!"  
They took place in the chairs next to Dani's bed. Violet couldn't help it, but looked at the bed. The thought that Dani and Vinnie… She gave herself a mental shake. Stop it, Violet. Don't torture yourself.  
"Listen, Dani? I came here to tell you I've talked to Vinnie. He told me everything. He also told me, it was all his fault. That he made the move, two times. And that you would never had done it, if he hadn't made a move."  
Dani stared at her. She was surprised to hear that Vinnie took all the blame on him.  
"I eh… Well, he is right. I would never… But still… I was wrong. I should have pushed him away…"  
"Yeah, you should. But he also told me you have feelings for him. And not just lust, no, you love him."  
"I eh… Yeah… I do love him. I told you before, after you woke up."  
"I remember. Look, the way I see it is that he used you. He played you. He used your feelings, because he knew you couldn't resist him. That kinda makes you a victim, you know?", Violet said slowly.  
Dani couldn't believe her ears. By the looks of things, Vinnie had stood up for her. And by the looks of things, Violet was gonna forgive her.  
"Eh, I guess?"  
"I forgive you, Dani. I know how bad you are feeling about this, how you have the feeling that you betrayed me… Look, I don't want to say it's okay what you did, because it isn't. But I know it wasn't completely your fault. And I forgave Vinnie. So I forgive you too. And I truly miss you. As a friend. It just isn't the same without you…"  
Dani started crying.  
"Thanks, Violet. Thank you. I am really sorry, about everything. It will never happen again. I'm over it. I'm too good to be used for sex. That's no love. Sure, he will always have a special place in my heart. But as a friend."  
Violet smiled. "You coming back to the board?"  
Dani hesitated. "I don't know…", but Violet interrupted her.  
"Vinnie wants to talk to you, and you are part of the family now, you know that right?"  
Dani felt a huge relief. She was so scared she had lost it all. Lost them all. But she didn't. She smiled at Violet.  
"Okay."

When Violet parked her bike at the board, she turned around to look at Dani.  
"Ready?", she asked at her human friend.  
"Eh, yeah… I guess…"  
"You want me to stay with you?"  
"No. Thanks, but no. This is something I need to do by myself", Dani said, suddenly very determined. Violet smiled. That was her girl.  
When they walked inside, Dani threw her bags in the corner. Throttle and Modo walked over to her to give her a hug.  
"Welcome back, Dani girl", Throttle said warmly.  
"Glad you came back, Dani ma'am", Modo added with a smile.  
"Ahhh, you guys. Thanks. It feels good to be back. I missed you, you crazy mice."  
Carbine suddenly stood next to her and pulled her in her arms.  
"Dani, I'm so glad to see you. You okay?", she asked worried.  
"Yeah, I am. And you? I see your belly is starting to grow a little", Dani said, touching Carbine's belly. It was indeed a small bump. Carbine smiled.  
"Yeah, I'm getting fat. Ah well…"  
Dani laughed. Suddenly, she saw Vinnie standing at the back door. She froze and stared at him. He looked back. The first thing she noticed, was his calm expression. The mischievous spark was back in his eyes, but she could still see a small hint of pain. But he looked normal again. And he was ashamed, she could see it. Good.  
She marched straight at him and dragged him outside. She closed the door and turned around to face him. She could still feel that tingle in her belly, but she had found back her strength. She raised her hand and slapped him right in the face. Vinnie rubbed his cheek and smiled sheepishly.  
"I kinda deserve that, I guess.."  
"You did deserve that. You used me. You made me cross limits I didn't want to cross. You treated me like a whore."  
Vinnie's cheeks turned red, but he said nothing. Dani sat down. She patted on the spot next to her.  
"Sit down. We need to talk."  
Vinnie slowly sat down next to her. He took a deep breath.  
"Dani, I'm sorry. I really am. There is no excuse for what I did."  
"I know. That you are sorry. I can see it in your eyes. There is indeed no excuse. And I really appreciate the fact that you took all the blame on you. But it was also my fault. It takes two to… tango…", she smiled. "Look, I've been doing a lot of thinking in my hotel. And I decided that I need to move on. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing else I want in this world and that is you. But you belong to Violet. And I want you to be happy. She is the only one who can make and keep you happy. And that is the most important thing. And I know Charley would want the same for you… So, you will always have a special place in my heart. I will always be there for you, always. But as a friend. Don't make a move on me, ever again. This is your last chance. Understood?"  
"Yes ma'am. I eh… I'm really sorry I don't feel the same way, Dani. But you need to know I do care about you. Maybe not in the way you want, but… I never saw you as a whore, Dani. Yes, what I did was wrong, very wrong. But please, believe me. It did meant something for me. And I would love to stay friends with you."  
Dani felt a warm feeling inside. "Well, then I guess we have a deal, macho mouse."  
She offered her fist. Vinnie slammed his against hers.  
"Deal."

In the meantime, Violet took Throttle apart.  
"Listen, Throttle? I think we need to go back to Coelum. All of us… We can stay here, wait till Mozz comes back, IF he even comes back.. But it feels like we are throwing away our lives. Your wife is pregnant. There are more important things then war… I don't judge you, you need to know that. But…"  
"You're right, Violet. I was thinking the same thing. We can check on Earth every now and then, but for now… I just want to go home, be there for my wife, be there when my kid is gonna be born…"  
Violet was surprised. She had thought she had a lot of convincing to do, but nothing turned out to be less true. She smiled. Throttle smiled back.  
"Vi? Thanks for saving our bro. For really saving him this time. It feels different now, you know? I think he finally has peace inside."  
"No problem. I'm glad I came. He does look calmer than ever. Let's just hope this kind of things never happen again…"  
"You really are something, Violet. You are one special girl. Really. I think I never met someone like you before. I'm glad you gave him another chance. Otherwise… Well, let's not think about that. Let's just say; I'm glad you are with us."  
Violet felt deeply touched. "Thanks, Throttle. I'm also glad I'm with you guys."  
Throttle smiled. "Let's go home, Vi."  
Violet smiled back. "Great idea, Throttle."

 _ **One year later…**_

"Autsj!", Vinnie yelped, turning around. He saw Tread, the son of Throttle and Carbine, pulling on his tail.  
"Hey, you little wild man, easy on the merchandise", he smiled, grabbing the little mouse. He threw him in the air and catched him again. Tread laughed out loud, loving this game. Throttle and Carbine were watching with a smile on their face. Who would have thought that Vinnie did like kids. Well, at the beginning he wanted nothing to do with it (Yeah, it… his words..). But Carbine thought that was because he just didn't knew how to handle the tiny, breakable mouse. But after a few months, a strong bond formed between them. Tread loved the white furred mouse and Vinnie did everything to make the little kid happy.  
They were sitting at the beach on Coelum. Violet was sitting next to Carbine and giggled.  
"I must say, they make a pretty good team", she said smiling. Carbine nodded.  
"Yeah they do. Imagine all the trouble we can expect when Tread is older and understand what Vinnie is telling him… Ah well…"  
"Well, you don't have to worry. Vinnie is gonna have his hands full with his own kid by then."\  
Carbine nodded, but then the words dawned at her. She put a hand in front of her mouth to avoid she would scream in surprise. She recovered herself.  
"What?", she whispered, grabbing Violet's arm. Violet smiled.  
"You heard me…"  
"You're pregnant?", Carbine hissed, still holding Violet's arm. Violet nodded with a big smile on her face.  
"Does Vinnie know? No, of course he don't. We would have noticed…"  
"I am going to tell him tonight."  
"Vi! Congrats", Carbine said softly, rubbing Violet's arm.  
"Thanks girl."

Violet sighed happily and watched Vinnie and Tread. At first, when she found out she was pregnant, she was scared. She would never forget Vinnie's reaction when she asked him about kids, that night at the beach of Lake Michigan. But he was so different now. He was still arrogant, he was still wild, he was still crazy as fuck… But he also was calmer, there was a lot less anger, he could be more serious now and then. And he was crazy about Tread. So, Violet knew he was gonna be happy with the news. But she was still a little bit nervous. He had promised to take her out tonight, to the place they always go when they wanted privacy. It was the same spot where they found out about the dragons back then. It was the perfect place to tell him.

Things were going well for the mice. Modo and Gaya were married now, and Gaya was also pregnant. She had told Modo and the rest last week. Modo couldn't be happier. He always wanted to be a dad. And the coolest thing ever was, she got pregnant about the same time as Violet did. So their kids were gonna grow up together, along with Tread, on a safe place.  
Every month or so, the bro's paid Earth a visit, to grab fuel and other supplies and to check if Mozz was already back. But the fish was still gone. They were fine with it. They now had experienced a year of peace and even Vinnie liked it. Of course, he was getting anxious sometimes, but then he took a long drive on his bike in one of the woods that was destroyed by the dragons and blew up everything in sight. It was satisfying enough for him.  
Dani had also found love. From the moment she had laid her eyes on Swee, the doctor, she was head over heels. So, after a few months of flirting, dating and a lot of screaming and giggling from the girls, they started their journey together as a couple. Violet was glad for her friend. She didn't deserve it to live next to her unreachable lover, see him happy and feeling lonely herself. No, Swee was good for her.  
Jake and Rimfire were still single, but were fine with it. They were young and wild, always together and getting in all sort of trouble. Carbine, Throttle and Modo had their hands full with them. But it was okay. It was healthy for boys at their age to behave like this. Healthier than being a soldier.

So, life was good. Life was peaceful. And life was scary. Violet had never felt so nervous when she was sitting next to Vinnie in the grass on their favorite spot. She had thought she could do this without blinking, but now she was sitting here next to him, she blacked out.  
Vinnie lay down and folded his hands under his head, staring at the stars. He suddenly saw how tensed his girl was. He slowly got upright and took place in front of her.  
"Sweetheart, you okay?", he asked, studying her face. Violet stared at him, completely loss at words. What if he was gonna freak out? What if he wasn't gonna be happy? What if he didn't want to be a dad?  
"Violet, what is wrong? Do you want to go back?"  
"I eh… I'm fine. Actually, things are great", she smiled, suddenly relaxed again.  
Vinnie narrowed his eyes. She was acting weird, alright…  
"Oh really? How so?", he asked suspiciously.  
"Well, I was watching you and Tread today, and I thought at myself; Why was I worried when I found out? Why am I scared he don't want to be a father? He is gonna be a great daddy", she said with a smile and sparkling eyes.  
Vinnie stared at her. She could see his brains making overtime. He opened his mouth and closed it again. Violet waited patiently till he made the connection. And she could see it click. His eyes grew big, his breathing became heavier, she could see his heart pounding in his chest.  
"You.. Are you.. You are saying… You... ", he stuttered. She laughed.  
"Look who is all speechless… What are you trying to say, cutie?", she asked innocently, loving it to see him struggle.  
Vinnie narrowed his eyes at her and took a few deep breaths.  
"You are pregnant?", he asked eventually, his voice shaky. Violet nodded.  
"Yeah, I am. We are going to be parents, mister van Wham."  
Vinnie processed it and slowly, a big smile appeared. He grabbed Violet and whirled her around.  
"Aaaooww, sweetheart! I can't believe this!", he cheered when he set her on her feet again. Violet laughed out loud, never feeling so happy before in her life.  
"It's true, cutie. You are going to be a father. And let me tell you something, you are gonna be a good father. And we are gonna live our life on this beautiful planet, in peace with our family. We are going to lead the live we all deserve. And we are going to be happy. You always said you never believed in fairytales. In happy endings. Well, you better start believing in it. Because you're living in one."  
Vinnie kissed her. She was right. They all deserved this life. After all the pain, the struggles, the darkness… After living close to death for so long, they deserved this. And he suddenly wasn't so sure anymore about the fairytales. By the looks of things, they did exist. And he vowed to himself, he was gonna enjoy it every minute. Yeah. Life was good.

' _All I want is freedom..  
..A world with no more night..  
..And you, always beside me..  
..To hold me and to guide me.._

 _Then say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime..  
..Let me lead you from your solitude..  
..Say you need me with you here, beside you..  
..Anywhere you go, let me go too..  
..That's all I ask of you.._

 _Share each day with me, each night, each morning.._

 _Say you love me..  
..You know I do.._

 _Love me, that's all I ask of you…'_

 _ **To be continued...**_

* * *

So, this is the end of this story. The follow up is called "From The Inside" and will continue this storyline.  
But it will also be a closer look into Vinnie's past. And I'm already warning you guys, it's gonna be a heavy one.  
Well, please review! :)


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